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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


"OVER  THE  SUMMER  SEA" 


BY 

JOHN  HARRISON 

AND 

MARGARET   COMPTON 


'There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  mm." — Shakspeare 


NEW   YORK 

JOHN    W.     LOVELP,    COMPANY 
14  AND  16  VESEY  STREET 


COPYRIGHT,  1884,  BY 
JOHN  W.  LOVELL  COMPANY 


TROW3 

PRINTING  AND  BOOKBINDING  COMPANY, 
NEW   ORK. 


PS 
18/f 


Be&tcatfon 

(WITH   APOLOGIES   TO   DR.   O.  W.   HOLMES  AND   MARK  TWAIN) 
THIS   VOLUME   IS  AFFECTIONATELY 

INSCRIBED 

TO 
OUR   MOST   PATIENT   READERS   AND   MOST   CHARITABLE   CRITICS, 

OURSELVES 


759428 


'OVER  THE   SUMMER  SEA." 


INTRODUCTION. 


LIST  OF 

SALOON   PASSENGERS 

PER   STEAMSHIP 

THE   EMPRESS, 

CAPT.  O.  VANK, 

SAILING    FROM 

NEW  YORK  FOR  LIVERPOOL, 

WEDNESDAY,  JUNE  — ,  18 — , 

MR.  O'DONOGHUE NEW  YORK 

MRS.  O'DONOGHUE NEW  YORK 

MISS  O'DONOGHUE, NEW  YORK 

MR.  RUSSELI BLOOMINGTON,  ILL. 

MISS  RUSSELL. BLOOMINGTON,  ILL. 

MR.  MURRAY PHILADELPHIA 

MR.  GREEN DUBLIN 

MISS  GREEN, DUBLIN 

MR.  CHRISTOPHER   KENT NEW  YORK 

MR.  FRENCH LONDON,  ENG. 

AND   OTHERS. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 


CAPTAIN   VANK. 

THE  captain  of  the  Empress  was  a  fellow  big  and  burly, 
His  head  was  like  a  bullet,  and  his  hair  was  brown 

and  curly, 

And  he  had  a  horrid  fashion  of  getting  up  so  early 
That  he  always  yawned  at  dinner. 

For   seamanship    and    courage    he    was    very    often 

quoted, 

And  many  resolutions  by  his  passengers  v/ere  voted  ; 
Yet,  perhaps,  the  noble  captain  more  especially  was 

noted 
For-the  yarns  he  spun  at  dinner. 

But  who  that  is  lieutenant  in  the  R.  N.  pray  afraid  is 
Of  being  reprimanded  ?  for  an  ocean  captain's  trade  is 
Not  so    much  to  run  his  vessel  as  to  entertain  the 

ladies 
And  preside  with  grace  at  dinner. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 


THE   O'DONOGHUES. 

THE  grandeur  of  Mrs.  and  also  of  Miss 

O'Donoghue  simply  amounted  to  this, 

That  no  other  family — this  without  flattery — 

In  New  York,  from  High  Bridge  clear  down  to  the 

Battery, 

From  the  north  to  the  south,  or  the  east  to  the  west, 
Could  in  any  way  equal  it ;  they  were  the  best. 
Their  help  was  the  best  that  for  cash  could  be  hired, 
And  their  carriage  and  horses  were  always  admired, 
Because,  all  admitted,  New  York  could  not  equal 
The  O'Donoghues'  turn-out.     They  could  dance  well 

and  speak  well, 

They  owned  the  best  diamonds,  and  it  was  said 
The  two  ladies  frequently  wore  them  to  bed  ; 
As  Mrs.  O'Donoghue  once  told  her  daughter, 
"  In  case  of  a  fire,  they're  the  very  first  water." 

Miss  O'Donoghue  sang  in  Italian,  of  course, 
And  also  in  French,  but  declared  she  was  hoarse 
If  asked  to  sing  English,  or,  tossing  her  head, 
"  I  only  know  classical  music,"  she  said. 

After  each  entertainment  their  manage  was  lauded, 
And  Mr.  O'D.  by  the  press  was  applauded 
When  he  headed  a  charity  list  with  his  name, 
Always  followed  by  "  Mrs.  O'Donoghue — same ;  " 


8  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

And  then  Miss  O'Donoghue  brought  up  the  rear 

With  an  equal  amount.     They  were  not  at  all  near 

Or  miserly,  that  was  an  evident  fact, 

Though  some  people  said  they  showed  excellent  tact 

In  giving,  and  a  few  of  them  openly  hinted 

They  never  subscribed  if  the  list  was  not  printed. 

Each  summer  they  patronized  Europe,  and  lent 

An  additional  charm  to  the  old  continent. 

The  O'Donoghues'  phrase  was,  so  rumor  relates, 

"  If  you  'd  see  this  done  properly,  come  to  the  States." 

And  yet,  it  was  strange,  when  they  came  back  again, 

They  hardly  did  anything  else  but  complain. 

As  when  at  a  concert,  at  the  close  of  a  song, 

Miss  O'Donoghue  said,  "  In  the  Bois  de  Boulogne, 

I  heard  a  poor  beggar-girl  sing  that  same  air 

Far  better,  and  oh  !    she  was  wondrously  fair. 

Why,  even  le  peiiple  in  dear  France  are  delightful, 

But  our  poor  people  are  wretched,  arc  frightful  !  " 

In  short,  the  O'  Donoghues  constantly  cavilled 

At  everything  local,  to  show  they  were  travelled. 

If  you  praised  Coney  Island,  they  at  once  praised  Bou 
logne  ; 

If  you  mentioned  Chicago,  they  mentioned  Hong 
Kong, 

Incidentally  throwing  in  London  and  Rome, 

Quite  taking  your  breath  away.  When  they  were 
home 

America  suffered,  there  is  not  a  doubt  of  it. 

But  they  praised  it,  ad  nauseam,  when  they  were  out 
of  it. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 


MR.   RUSSELL. 

A  GENTLEMAN  of  fifty-four, 
Or  fifty-five,  or  maybe  more  ; 
He  never  told  his  age,  but  let  concealment — well,  no 

matter. 

His  hair  was  iron  gray,  but  fine 
As  unspun  silk,  the  only  sign 

That  Father  Time  recorded,  save  that  daily  he  grew 
fatter. 

A  merchant — rumor  does  not  tell 
The  kind  of  goods  he  had  to  sell, 
But  stocks  and  bonds  and  ready  cash  were  proof  that 

he  had  flourished  ; 

A  self-made  man,  and  well  made  too, 
His  capital  had  been  a  sou, 

At  first,  which  shows  how  little  things  will  grow  if 
wisely  nourished. 


jo  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 


MISS  RUSSELL. 

FROM  her  debAt  until  the  last  ball  of  last  season 
Miss  Russell  was  belle,  with  but  very  slight  reason 
If  with  critical  measure  her  features  you  scan, 
Which  you  never  will  do,  if  a  single  young  man. 
Her  hair,  which  was  dark,  was  inclined  to  be  straight, 
But  waved  here  and  there  in  defiance  of  fate  ; 
Her  eyebrows  were  heavy,  and  prettily  curved  ; 
Her  nose  from  the  Grecian  had  saucily  swerved, 
Not  pugnaciously,  no — though  her  rivals  declare 
She  frequently  carries  that  feature  in  air. 
Her  lips  were  not  rosy,  her  teeth  were  not  pearls, 
And  yet  she  was  far  from  the  plainest  of  girls. 
Her  eyes,  as  to  color,  were  blue,  brown,  or  gray, 
And  sparkled  and  changed  fifty  times  in  a  day  ; 
They  were  certainly  lovely,  and  lit  up  her  face, 
And  gave  her,  in  part,  that  intangible  grace 
Which  poets  and  novelists  seem  to  combine 
In  calling  a  "something"  but  never  define. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  11 


MR.   MURRAY. 

HE  was  tall  and  slim  and  very  erratic, 

Loud  in  his  speech,  which  was  always  emphatic  ; 

Quick  with  an  answer,  and  careless  if  what 

He  said  was  polite  or  if  it  was  not ; 

Pallid  complexion,  with  dark,  piercing  eyes, 

Which,   at  times,  would  look  foolish,  at  other  times 

wise  ; 

A  forehead  that  reached  to  the  back  of  his  head, 
That  was  partly  concealed  by  a  skullcap  in  red. 
Bushy  black  whiskers  adorned  either  cheek, 
And  a  mustache  connected  the  two,  so  to  speak. 
He  was  starting  for  Europe  with  one  suit  of  black 
That  fitted  him  like  the  proverbial  sack, 
A  suit  which  was  patched  and  eternally  dusty, 
A  suit  which  had  reached  the  condition  called  rusty. 

He  was  one  of  those  men  who  despise  the  external, 
And  value  a  nut  by  the  size  of  its  kernel ; 
Which  is  all  very  well  in  the  matter  of  food, 
Although,  for  our  part,  we  like  both  to  be  good, 
The  outside  and  inside,  for  who  can  endure 
Any  one  who  makes  patches  a  virtue  ?     We  're  sure 
The  poor  may  be  smart,  as  was  Robinson  Crusoe, 
But,  if  a  man  can  avoid  rags,  he  should  do  so. 


12  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

He  was  tough  as  a  mule,  and  could  stand  any  weather, 

And  never  was  still  for  two  minutes  together  ; 

Be  the  sea  rough  or  smooth,  be  it  cloudy  or  clear, 

He  was  good  for  a  sermon,  or  good  for  a  beer. 

First  up  in  the  morning,  and  last  to  "  turn  in," 

He  seemed  to  consider  that  sleep  was  a  sin. 

From    the  day  that   he  sailed  to    the    day   that   he 

landed 
He  battled  and  conquered  ennui  single-handed. 


MR.    CHRISTOPHER   KENT. 

"  HE  is  very  like  Shelley,"  the  ladies  remark, 
"Except  that  his  eyes  are  a  trifle  too  dark  ; 
A  true  poet's  forehead  and  soft  chestnut  curls, 
A  complexion  as  pale  and  as  clear  as  a  girl's  ; 
A  well-moulded  chin — and  the  poise  of  his  head 
Is  perfectly  charming."     The  gentlemen  said  : 
"  A  deucedly  handsome  young  fellow,  that  Kent, 
Our  chance  with  the  ladies  is  not  worth  a  cent, 
For  those  whom  his  face  fails  to  capture  instanter 
Will  worship  his  muscles — he  '11  win  in  a  canter." 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 


MR.    GREEN. 

A  HANDSOME  man  with  an  eager  eye, 
And  a  frame  well  knit  and  strong  ; 

But  he  spoilt  it  all  with  a  chronic  sigh, 
As  if  something  inside  was  wrong. 

Freed  by  wealth  from  common  care, 
He  had  plenty  of  time  to  fret, 

And  had  gone  about  with  a  mournful  air, 
Since  learning  his  alphabet. 

He  shook  one's  hand  in  a  solemn  style, 
And  spoke  in  a  minor  tone  ; 

It  was  only  his  skin  that  seemed  to  smile- 
He  'd  a  titular  funny  bone. 


MISS    GREEN. 

His  sister,  a  lady  of  certain  age, 
Kind-hearted  and  good  but  quaint, 

Served  Brother  John  like  a  faithful  page, 
And  thought  him  a  modern  saint. 


I4  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 


MR.-  FRENCH. 

A  DISCIPLE  of  Nature,  nay,  more,  a  Freethinker, 

Who  sought  every  orthodox  tenet  to  tinker ; 

A  satirical,  epigrammatical  Briton, 

Employed  by  some  paper,  for  which  he  had  written 

His  notions  about  the  American  nation. 

He  was  like  that  great  potentate,  Og,  King  of  Bashan, 

Whb  belonged  to  the  remnant  of  giants,  his  size 

Being  simply  enormous.     He  was  witty  and  wise, 

The  prince  of  good-fellows.     'T  is  needless  to  state 

That  Nature  intended  this  man  to  be  oreat. 


THE  OTHERS. 

ONE  frequently  finds  on  a  play-bill,  you  know, 
Right  after  the  name  of  the  great  So-and-so, 
A  long  list  of  villagers,  citizens,  lords, 
Who  fill  up  a  scene,  or  say  a  few  words, 
Who  make  up  a  crowd,  or  assist  at  a  mystery, 
But  have  little  or  nothing  to  do  with  the  history. 
Be  the  "  Others  "  our  supers,  whom  we  introduce 
Whenever  we  find  they  can  be  of  some  use. 

Go  forth,  little  book,  do  your  best  ;   it  is  certain 
You  must  stand  on  your  merits  now.     Up  goes  the 
curtain  ! 


SCENE  I. 


FAREWELL,    DEAR    LAND,    FARE 
WELL  ! " 


SCENE  I. 
"FAREWELL,  DEAR  LAND,  FAREWELL!" 

WHAT  a  sense  of  contentment,  what  visions  of  ease 
Steal  over  a  passenger's  mind,  when  he  sees 
The  long  line  of  table,  one  sweep  of  refection, 
Which  the  mirrors,  by  means  of  a  dual  reflection, 
Extend  to  a  board  of  such  noble  proportion — 
He  blushes  to  think  that  he  swore  at  extortion. 
A  field  of  white  linen,  a  glitter  of  plate, 
With  floral  devices  (in  fashion  of  late), 
With  gay-colored  glasses  in  studied  confusion, 
And  crystal  and  china  complete  the  delusion. 
And,  although  older  travellers  know,  to  their  sorrow, 
How  the  aspect  of  things  will  be  changed  on  the  mor 
row, 

They  join  in  theftte,  and  are  heard  to  declare, 
They  expect  a  smooth  passage,  et  sans  mal  de  mer. 

The  steward,  portly, 

Goes  starboard  shortly, 

With  list  of  names, 

To  settle  claims 
To  choice  seats  at  the  table  ; 

With  practised  vision, 

And  calm  decision, 
2 


1 8  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

And  sundry  fees, 

He,  by  degrees, 

Brings  order  out  of  Babel. 

His  manner  stately, 
Changes  greatly, 
As,  leaving  starboard, 
He  goes  to  larboard — 

For  who  respects  a  porter  ? 
With  surly  haste 
The  cards  are  placed, 
And  protestation 
Is  but  vexation  ; 

The  bell  cuts  matters  shorter. 

Who  cannot  tell 
The  dinner  bell 

Wherever  it  may  tingle  ? 
Its  welcome  tone 
None  others  own, 

An  appetizing  jingle. 

Unlike  the  sound 
The  rag-man's  round 

Proclaims  in  street  and  alley, 
None  think  to  look, 
Except  the  cook, 

Or  lowly,  love-sick  Sally. 

Unlike  the  light 
"  Ting-ting"  at  night, 
By  one  young  miss  expected  ; 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  19 

Which  old  maids  fear, 
But  long  to  hear, 
For  they  are  belles  rejected. 

Unlike  the  clang 

That  sends  a  pang 
Through  every  nerve  and  sinew, 

It  means  no  meal, 

You  know,  you  feel 
A  dun  has  called  to  "  skin  "  you. 

No  other  bell 

Is  known  so  well, 
As  that  which  rings  for  dinner  ; 

'T  is  understood 

By  rich  and  rude, 
By  saint  as  well  as  sinner. 

In  the  midst  of  the  general  scrimmage  and  hurry, 
The  foremost  and  loudest  had  been  Mr.  Murray, 
Whose  causes  for  grievance,  apparently  boundless, 
Had  proved,  one  and  all,  to  be  utterly  groundless, 
Which  must  not  against  his  good  judgment  be  reck 
oned, 

For  his  maxim  in  life  was.  "  In  nothing  play  second." 
In  the  race  for  the  seats,  when  the  bell  rang  for  din 
ner, 
By  considerably  more  than  a  neck  he  was  winner. 

The  others  had  barely  been  seated,  when  he 

Recognized  an  acquaintance  in  his  vis  a  vis, 

And  without  hesitation  saluted  him  thus  : 

"  Say,  Russell,  old  fellow,  how  did  you  leave  Gus  ?  " 


20  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

Mr.  Russell  looked  up,  and  was  greatly  confused, 

While  his  daughter  looked  on,  and  was  highly  amused. 

He  really  could  not  for  the  life  of  him  tell 

Who  it  was  that  apparently  knew  him  so  well. 

Since  his  marriage,  and  subsequent  life  at  the  We^, 

He  had  taken  but  little  or  no  interest 

In  the  doings  and  beings  of  bachelor  days, 

And  so  not  a  ghost  of  the  past  could  he  raise. 

But  while  he  was  racking  his  business-like  brain, 

Mr.  Murray  addressed  him  in  jocular  vein  : 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you  Ve  forgotten  the  hairs 

In  the  soup,  that,  in  order  to  soften  affairs, 

We  used  to  call  rabbits — and  how  Gus,  the  fool, 

Would  swear,  '  Dey  ain't  mine,  sah, 

I'ze  only  got  wool '  ?  " 

"Why,  Murray,  my  boy  !  "  Mr.  Russell  exclaimed, 
As  he  held  out  his  hand,  "  I  am  really  ashamed 
That  my  memory  served  me  so  shabby  a  trick, 
While  you  knew  me  at  once.    You  're  a  regular  brick  ! 
And  how  goes  the  world,  old  fellow,  with  you  ? 
You  know,  in  our  young  days,  the  coppers  were  few  ; 
But  Providence  favors  us  men  at  the  West, 
And  now  I  can  hold  up  my  head  with  the  best. 
Mr.  Murray,  permit  me — Miss  Russell,  my  daughter. 
I  suppose  that,  although  you  have  taken  to  water, 
You  are  not  a  teetotaler?     Steward  !  some  wine  ! 
I  am  glad  you  decided  to  go  by  this  line.'' 

Mr.  Murray  had  listened,  and  now  and  again 

Had  looked  up  and  smiled,  but  his  knife  had  not  lain 

For  a  moment  in  idleness.     Now,  less  intent 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  21 

Upon  eating,  he  introduced  Christopher  Kent, 
With  a  warmth  and  cinprcsscment  that  one  would  ex 
tend 

To  him  who  had  long  been  an  intimate  friend, 
While  neither  had  heard  of  the  other  one's  name, 
Until  the  head  steward  reluctantly  came 
In  response  to  their  summons,  to  see  if  he  knew 
Who  first  bought  the  ticket  for  berth  92. 
The  wine  being  brought,  the  gentlemen  drank 
The  toasts  of  "  Lang  Syne,"  "  The  Ship,"  "  Captain 

Vank  ;  " 
And  each  time  the  glasses  rose  higher  and  higher. 

Mr.  Russell  suggested,  "  Before  we  retire, 

Mr.  Murray's  young  lady  I  beg  to  propose — 

The  name  we  must  leave  to  our  friend  to  disclose." 

Mr.  Murray  uplifted  his  glass,  while  he  said, 

"  If  Miss  Russell  will  kindly  permit  me — " 

Her  head 

Dropped  in  silence,  she  blushed  and  had  made 
Some  excuse  to  retire,  but  feeling  afraid 
Of  offending  her  father  by  slighting  his  friend, 
She  sat  without  raising  her  eyes  till  the  end, 
And  so  did  not  see  Mr.  Christopher  Kent, 
Who  scowled  at  his  neighbor,  and  longed  to  resent 
The  insult  thus  offered  in  friendship's  disguise. 
But  great  would  have  been  Mr.  Murray's  surprise, 
Had  he  dreamed  the  young  lady  or  Kent  would  resent 

it; 
For,  of  course  he  was  jesting,  and  never  had  meant 

it; 

He  most  likely  presumed  such  a  girl  had  a  lover. 


22  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

The  passengers  rose  when  the  dinner  was  over  ; 
Some  went  to  the  deck  for  a  breath  of  salt  air, 
And  some  to  their  rooms  for  the  night  to  prepare. 

Miss  Russell's  compagnon  dc  voyage  she  found 
Stretched    out    in    her    berth,    her    things    scattered 

around : 

"  Are  you  sick  ?  "    Miss  O'Donoghue  lifted  her  eyes, 
"  Oh  no  !  metis  je pense,  it  is  best  to  be  wise." 
Miss  Russell  was  quick  the  false  tone  to  detect, 
For  slwddy  she  never  had  any  respect, 
But  revelled  in  aiming  the  sharpest  of  wit 
At  every  pretension,  and  laughed  when  it  hit. 
To  put  the  case  mildly,  in  more  than  one  sense 
MissO'Donoghue's  baggage  was  "  simply  immense  :  " 
A  huge  "  Saratoga,"  voluminous  wraps — 
Such  as   waterproof  cloaks,    and    rugs    done    up  in 

straps — 

Bonnet-boxes  and  hat-boxes,  bags  and  valises, 
A  patent  camp-chair  with  adjustable  pieces, 
Umbrellas  and  sunshades  of  every  hue, 
Till  Miss  Russell's  one  trunk  was  quite  hidden  from 

view. 

So  she  turned  just  as  quickly  as  space  would  allow, 
And  said,  with  a  formal  attempt  at  a  bow, 
"  I  trust  that  my  trunk  will  not  be  in  your  way  ?  " 
Miss  O'Donoghue  roused  herself  slightly  to  say, 
"  Pas  de  tout,  pour  le present,  if  it  is,  without  doubt 
We  can  shift  it,  or  something — in  short,  have  it  out." 
"  Have  it  out?  "  said  Miss  Russell,  then,   feigning  a 

sigh, 
"  I  should  suffer,  you  know  more  of  boxing  than  I." 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  23 

Curiosity  getting  the  better  of  pride, 
Miss  O'Donoghue  moved,  and  attentively  eyed 
Her  companion.      She  had  on  a  blue  travelling  suit, 
And  a  small  jaunty  hat,  that  was  ever  so  cute. 
The  dress  fitting  close  to  her  figure  was  made 
So  remarkably  well,  and  the  buttons  and  braid 
Matched  the  cloth  so  exactly,  she  felt  some  surprise 
And  asked,  "  What  modiste,  pray,  do  you  patronize  ?  " 
Miss  Russell  replied,  "  Well,  a  lady  who  lives 
In  our  town,  as  a  rule  makes  my  dresses,  but  gives 
Me  a  lesson  sometimes — I  am  stupid  and  slow, 
But  I  made  this  myself." 

If  a  violent  blow 

Had  been  aimed  at  the  fair  Miss  O'Donoghue's  head, 
It  could  not  have  stunned  her  more  thoroughly.      Led 
By  a  fear  of  vulgarity,  she  muttered,  "  Indeed  !  " 
Then  picked  up  a  book,  and  pretended  to  read. 
Miss  Russell  controlled  her  desire  to  laugh, 
And  a  still  stronger  longing  to  twit  her  with  chaff; 
But  she  said  to  herself  as  she  went  up  on  deck, 
"  I  am  afraid  that  she  suffers  from  chronic  stiff-neck. 
Well,  I  pity  the  girl — though  I  know  that  is  folly, 
I'll  be  bound  she  has  never  been  thoroughly  jolly." 


Darkness  is  slowly  creeping  over  the  cities'  towers, 
But  on  the   western  hill-tops   the   light  will  glow  for 
hours. 

Sparks  from  celestial  embers  drop  on  the  quiet  bay, 
In  a  moment  the  waves  are  flaming — they  smoulder 
and  die  away. 


24  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Black  is  the  narrow  river  running  down  to  the  sea, 
And  the  fire-flies  are  twinkling  on  its  shores  in  every 
tree. 

Rolling  in  from  the    ocean,   heavily   wreathed    with 

white, 
By  the  cool  salt  wind  that  hastens  to  the  land  on  a 

summer  night, 

Billows  and  waves  and  billows  break  on  the   yellow 

sand, 
And  the  vessel  dips  her   colors  as   a  gun  is  fired  on 

land. 

Suddenly,  from  the  towers,  up  on  the  wooded  heights, 
Like  the  signals  from  a  castle,  flash  forth  the  High 
land  Lights. 

Out  of  the  pale  blue  zenith,  bashful,  as  children  are, 
Who  long  to  be  seen,  yet  hidden,  there  faintly  shines 
a  star. 

Gray  and    cold    the    horizon,  ghostly  the    tall  white 

sail. 
It  has  gone,  like  the  phantom  vessel  in  the  old  New 

England  tale. 

Peace  and  a  restful  sadness  come  with  the  lengthened 

swell, 
As    the  ship  is  plunging  seaward.      "  Farewell,  dear 

land,  farewell  !  " 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  25 

Mr.  Russell  was  one  of  those  men  who  maintain 

That  character  reading  is  perfectly  plain  ; 

As  a  matter  of  course,  he  was  never  deceived 

(So  he  said,  and  most  likely  he  firmly  believed). 

It  was  fortunate  then  for  the  person  concerned 

That  something  he  fancied  he  clearly  discerned 

In  the  bright,  handsome  features  of  Christopher  Kent. 

So,  when,  after  dinner,  the  gentlemen  went 

To  the  deck  for  a  smoke  in  the  cool  evening  air, 

He  joined  the  young  man  at  the  head  of  the  stair, 

And  linking  his  arm,  in  a  fatherly  way, 

Discoursed  for  awhile  on  the  news  of  the  day. 

Kent  apparently  listened,  but  certcs  !  his  mind 

Wandered    far    from    the    speaker,  for — well,  he    had 

dined, 

And  as  fate  and  the  steward  ordained  it  had  sat 
Vis  a  vis  with  Miss  Russell,  and  certainly  that 
Was  sufficient  excuse  for  his  mental  abstraction  ; 
The  young  lady,  in  short,  was  the  counter-attraction. 
But  good  listeners  often  gain  credit  for  what 
The  speaker  has  said,  when,  as  likely  as  not, 
Their  brilliant  replies  have  been  merely  "  Oh  no  !  " 
Or  "  Oh  yes  !  "  with,  perhaps,  for  variety,  "  So  ?  " 

Mr.  French  soon  approached  them,  and  asked  for  a 

light, 
And  remarked,  "  This  is  truly  a  beautiful  night." 

The  topic  of  weather  is  twitted  as  old  ; 

Like  spinsters,  the  good  it  has  done  is  untold, 

Like  them,  it  is  often  the  butt  of  our  fun, 

I-ike  them,  it  will  do  that  which  else  were  undone, 


26  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Like  them,  't  is  peculiar — it  must  be  confessed, 
Its  methods  and  actions  can  never  be  guessed  ; 
But  what  should  we  do  if  old  maids  and  the  weather 
Should  suddenly  leave  this  poor  world  altogether  ? 
Who  then   would  receive  the  young  lover's  confes 
sion  ? 

How  then  could  we  manage  a  needed  digression  ? 
Or  even  approach  a  sedate-looking  stranger  ? 
But  Old  Probabilities  says  there's  no  danger, 
But  as  long  as  the  heat  and  the  frost  shall  contend, 
And  as  long  as  the  rain  and  the  sunshine  shall  blend, 
The  weather  will  last  ;  and,  as  long,  we  're  afraid, 
We  shall  laugh  at  and  cherish  the  genus  old  maid. 

This  subject  worn  threadbare,  worn  clear  to  the  bone, 
Conversation  took  on  a  more  personal  tone. 

MR.   RUSSELL. 

I  suppose,  Mr.  French,  you  have  travelled  half  round 
The  world  once  or  twice,  and  this  trip,  I'll  be  bound, 
Seems  to  you  a  mere  nothing.     To  us  it  appears 
The  event  of  a  lifetime.     I  think  travelling  clears 
From  the  brain  mental  cobwebs — you  know  what  I 

mean, 

It  needs,  as  one's  house  does,  an  annual  clean  ; 
And  I  think  we  might  copy  our  newspaper  men, 
Who  must  need  have  clear  heads,  to  make  use  of  the 

pen. 

I  believe  I  have  managed  the  knot  to  unravel, 
When  I  say,  you  owe  this  to  the  virtue  of  travel. 
Am  I  right  ? 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  27 

MR.  FRENCH. 

Well,  of  course  ;  though  I  oftentimes  think 
One  can  travel  too  much.     If  the  faculties  shrink 
By  inaction,  they  can,  by  a  change,  be  restored, 
And  the  "  virtue  of  travel  "  must  not  be  ignored  ; 
But  who  can  restore  elasticity  lost 
By  o'erstretching  ?     Then,  have    you  computed   the 

cost 

Paid  by  scholars  to  happiness  ?     Knowledge  is  pain. 
A  professional  humorist  never  again 
Can  know  the  crisp  sparkle  and  fillip  of  fun, 
A  trick  is  no  trick  if  we  know  how  't  is  done, 
There's  monotony  even  of  change  and  variety, 
One  can  overdo  anything,  travel  or  piety, 
One  can  eat  too  much,  drink  too  much — there,  I  can 

see 
I  have  talked  too  much. 

MR.   RUSSELL. 

No,  sir,  not  so.     I  agree 

With  much  you  have  said,  though  I  freely  confess 
I  know  little  about  it  ;  but,  nevertheless, 
If  travel  will  cure  those  who  rust,  I  suppose 
Rest  will  cure  over-travel.      Now,  I  would  propose, 
If  this  be  your  ailment,  you  marry,  and  then 
Settle  down,  read  no  newspapers,  bury  your  pen, 
And  perhaps  that  will  cure  you.     Just  try  it. 

MR.    FRENCH. 

You  make 

An  error,  believe  me,  indeed  you  mistake 
A  man's  theories  for  his  opinions.     But  say 


28  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

That  the  case  is  my  own — would  your  remedy  lay 
In  the  dust  all  ambition  for  fortune  and  name  ? 
Even  newspaper  men  have  a  longing  for  fame. 

MR.    RUSSELL. 
I  "11  not  answer  for  that,  sir. 

MR.    KENT. 

But  I  can.     The  seeds 

Of  Ambition,  once  sown,  though  it  be  among  weeds, 
Will  o'ertop  them.     You  may  bury  it  deep, 
And  pile  heavy  stones  on  its  grave — it  will  creep 
To  the  surface  again,  and  the  thing  you  thought  dead 
Will  haunt  and  appall  you  with  infinite  dread, 
As  the  earnest  of  talent  that,  properly  used, 
Had  led  on  to  glory,  but,  crushed  and  abused, 
Abandoned,  or  finally  ruthlessly  slain, 
Has  left  in  its  stead  that  incurable  pain 
The  sting  of  remorse. 

MR.   RUSSELL. 

Bless  my  heart !     One  would  think 
You  a  hoary  old  cynic. 

MR.    FRENCH. 

Or  given  to  drink. 

But  he  spoke  from  experience  as  bitter  and  sad 
As  many  a  hoary  old  cynic  has  had. 

There's  a  time  in  the  boyhood  of  nine  out  often, 
When  they  think  they  can  never  be  happy  again  ; 
They  plunge  into  pleasure  with  genuine  zest, 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  29 

They  work  without  giving  themselves  any  rest, 
They  talk  about  dying,  and  wish  death  were  near, 
They  speak  of  the  opposite  sex  with  a  sneer. 
How  long  the  low  fever  will  last  will  depend 
Upon  the  next  woman  they  choose  for  a  friend  ; 
For  a.  friend—  at  the  first,  they  are  very  exact 
In  giving  the  title  ;  and  she,  with  a  tact 
That  only  a  woman  can  hope  to  possess, 
Accepts  it,  for  value  received,  more  or  less  ; 
And,  sooner  or  later,  statistics  will  prove, 
From  friendship  they  surely  will  drift  into  love. 

But  Christopher  Kent  was  cut  off  from  the  joy 
That  lifts  into  manhood  the  cynical  boy. 
The  duty  which  fettered  his  brilliant  young  life 
Compelled  him  to  banish  the  thought  of  a  wife. 
He  had  loved,  and,  unless  he  was  greatly  deceived, 
As  a  suitor  he  would  have  been  gladly  received  ; 
But  that  was  beforehand — -his  friend  loved  her  too, 
With  a  love  just  as  earnest,  poor  Christopher  knew, 
And  pure  as  his  own. 

To  ask  her  to  wed 

Some  time  in  the  future,  when,  looking  ahead, 
The  prospect  was  duller,  he  thought  it  a  sin, 
So  stepped  to  one  side,  and  let  his  friend  win. 

And  what  was  the  trouble  that  darkened  his  life  ? 

For  years  it  had  been  a  continual  strife 

To  conquer  his  tastes,  and  to  bury  his  soul 

In  a  work  that  he  hated.     The  coveted  goal 

Of  his  boyhood  and  youth  could  never  be  gained ; 

So  ambition  was  deadened — there  only  remained 


3o  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

A  strong  sense  of  duty,  a  worry  and  fret 

Over  what  he  'd  relinquished,  but  could  not  forget. 

From  the  time  when,  a  merry  young  urchin,  he  went 
To  Barnum's  Museum  and  Play-room,  his  bent 
Had  been  most  decided.     His  dream  was,  that  he 
An  actor,  a  famous  tragedian  might  be. 
His  training  all  tended  to  foster  the  same. 
He  went  on  the  stage,  and  was  making  a  name 
Such  as  few  debutants  can  expect,  when  the  blow 
That  shattered  his  idol,  and  made  him  forego 
His  pleasure  and  hopes,  left  the  future  a  blank, 
Came  upon  him. 

His  father  had  served  in  a  bank, 
For  twenty  or  thirty — it  may  have  been  more 
Best  years  of  his  life — he  was  now  past  three-score, 
And  the  managers  told  him  he  could  not  compete 
With   new   men   and    new  methods  ;  they  wanted   to 

meet 

The  growing  demands  of  their  patrons,  and  so — 
They  were   sorry,  of  course,   but  such   changes,  you 

know, 

Must  come  in  the  natural  progress  of  trade. 
The  old  man  was  stricken,  no  answer  he  made. 
But  Christopher,  hot  with  the  hot  blood  of  youth, 
Went  to  see  them,  to  compromise  matters,  forsooth, 
And  did — for  his  father  related  with  pride, 
He"  was  asked  to  come  back  ;  but  there,  at  his  side, 
Poor  Christopher  labored,  and  day  after  day 
Smothered  all  his  bright  hopes,  as  he  plodded  away. 
Week  in  and  week  out,  and  year  after  year, 
He  saw  every  chance  of  escape  disappear ; 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  31 

Too  poor  to  indulge  in  society's  revel, 

Too  proud  and  too  faithful  to  go  to  the'devil. 

This  trip  was  the  gift  of  a  kind-hearted  friend  ; 

The  bank  gave  him  time,  and  a  small  draft  to  spend, 

The  one  kindness  shown  him  for  many  a  year. 

Is  it  strange  he  adopted  a  cynical  sneer, 

And  doubted  the  justice  of  God  or  of  man  ? 

Think  of  it,  ye  favored,  then  blame  him  who  can. 

To   resume.     While   they   talked,    Mr.   Murray   had 

passed 

And  repassed  them,  again  and  again  ;  walking  fast, 
And  still  faster,  as  if  he  were  running'  a  race, 
Increasing  the  length  of  his  strides  with  his  pace. 
On  his  arm  hung  Miss  Green,  and  her  maidenly  feet, 
Accustomed  to  picking  their  way  in  the  street 
With  a  measured  and  decorous  kind  of  placidity, 
Now  fluttered  along  with  terrific  rapidity. 
At  the  turns  she  accomplished  a  hop,  skip,  and  bound, 
As  the  gentleman  dragged  her  excitedly  round, 
And,  blissfully  ignorant  aught  was  the  matter, 
Kept  up  a  continual,  voluble  clatter, 
Nor  gave  her  the  ghost  of  a  chance  to  explain 
The  pleasure  it  gave  her  to  walk,  and  the  pain 
It  gave  her  to  run. 

But  the  topics  he  chose 

\Vere  mat  a  propos,  and  her  gentle  blood  froze 
With  terror,  for  now  it  was  shipwreck  and  fire, 
Collisions  with  icebergs,  then  troubles  more  dire, 
Such  as  mutiny,  fever,  explosions,  and  death, 
Never  stopping  a  moment  for  words  or  for  breath, 


32  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Never  thinking  of  rest,  or  proposing  a  seat ; 

He  believed  he  was  giving  Miss  Green  quite  a  treat. 

Exhausted  and  breathless,  she  managed  to  say, 

As  Miss  Russell  came  up  the  companion  way, 

"  Won't  you  pi- -ease  take  my  pi — ace  ?  " 

Mr.  Murray  stopped  short, 
And  offered  his  disengaged  arm  to  escort 
Miss  Russell,  as  well  as  Miss  Green,  for  an  airing, 
Explaining.  "  The  captain  has  just  past  us,  swearing 
Like  one  o'clock,  so  that  Miss   Green  turned    quite 

pale, 
And  gave  us  strict  orders  to  crowd  on  more  sail." 

"  Then  please,  Mr.  Murray,"  she  said  in  reply, 
"Just  crowd  it  on,  won't  you,  and  let  me  pass  by  ?  " 

Her  father  was  smoking  the  smoke  of  the  just, 
Unlike  those  who  smoke  because,  sooth,  smoke  they 

must, 

To  quiet  the  conscience  by  dulling  the  brain, 
Or  those  more  unfortunate  ones,  to  kill  pain. 
He  never  had  smoked  while  a  lad,  but  had  learned  it 
Of  late,  for  he  felt  that  his  hard  work  had  earned  it. 

Mr.  Kent  rose  to  meet  her,  and  said,  "  I  declare, 
Here  's   Miss    Russell — permit   me" — he    offered    his 

arm. 
"Do  you   care" — speaking  now   to    her    father — "if 

your  daughter  and  I 
Take  a  walk  ?  " 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  33 

"  Not  at  all,"  he  replied  ;  "  well,  good-by. 
Take  care  of  her,  Kent." 

So  the  two  strolled  away 
To  the  stern  of  the  ship,  or  "  went  aft  "  we  should  say. 

They  talked  about  music  and  painting,  and  then 
Of  modern  essayists,  and  prominent  men 
Who  had  risen  of  late.      Alas  !  poor  young  Kent 
Began  falling  in  love.     The  pale  moonlight  lent 
A  charm  to  his  dream,  with  commendable  grace, 
As  likewise  the  sea,  the  faint  stars,  and  the  place  ; 
For  when  did  the  moon,  or  the  stars,  or  the  ocean 
Fail  to  help  a  young  man,   once  possessed  with  the 

notion 
Of  falling  in  love  ? 

Yet,  in  spite  of  the  pleasure 

It  gave  him,  he  knew  it  was  wrong — that  at  leisure 
His  judgment,  his  feeling  of  honor  and  right 
Would  accuse  him  of  treachery.  "  Love  at  first  sight !  " 
Was  it  possible  ?     Love  ?     Then  a  sense  of  chagrin 
Swept  over  his  soul.     If  it  were,  could  he  win 
This  lady  ?     He  ask  her  to  marry  him  ?     Fool 
That  he  was  !  without  aught  in  the  bank — but  his  stool 
(That  by  common  consent  he  had  claimed  for  his  own). 
No  future — the  fate  of  his  father  had  shown 
The  reward  that  would  come  to  the  faithful,  at  last. 
"  Strike  out  ?  "     He  had  done  so,  but  that  was  all 
past. 

"  O  conscience,  be  silent,  upbraid  not  to-night, 
And  let  me  enjoy,  unalloyed,  the  delight 
3 


34  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Of  a  union  of  soul  with  its  own  counterpart 
In  a  woman  !     I  promise,  in  earnest,  my  heart 
Shall  not  conquer  my  reason,  or  lead  it  astray." 
So  he  argued,  and  placed  himself  under  the  sway 
Of  passions  he  never  had  suffered  before 
To  rise  to  the  surface. 

We  build  out  the  shore, 

And  think  we  have  mastered  the  powerful  tide, 
But  let  the  great  torrents  sweep  down,  and  our  pride 
Is  carried  before  it ;  for  back  to  its  bound, 
The  water  will  rush,  and  the  pitiful  ground 
Can  oppose  no  resistance  ;  't  is  as  helpless  as  we, 
Who  cannot  control  either  passion  or  sea. 

Miss  Russell  was  always  accustomed  to  please, 
And  therefore  with  strangers  was  wholly  at  ease  ; 
She  frequently  flirted,  but  had  no  intent 
Of  trying  her  skill  upon  Christopher  Kent. 
But  a  woman  who  flirts,  without  meaning  it  quite, 
Is  by  far  the  most  dangerous — somehow,  in  spite 
Of  herself,  she  is  charming  ;  a  natural  grace, 
The  glimpse  of  her  soul  that  he  sees  in  her  face, 
Bewitches  the  man  ;  let  him  fight  as  he  will, 
The  web  is  elastic  and  fetters  him  still. 

And  so,  as  they  leaned  on  the  railing,  she  thought 
Of  the  beauty  of  sky  and  of  sea,  he  of  naught 
But  her  beauty  and  talent. 

A  pale  yellow  light 

Still  shone  in  the  west,  and  above  it  two  bright, 
Rosy  clouds,  that  soon  darkened,  and  faded  away, 
Caught  Miss  Russell's  attention. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  35 

"  Whenever  the  day 

Dies  like  that,"  she  observed,  "  a  song  I  once  read, 
And  remember  with  pleasure,  comes  into  my  head. 
If  you  like,  I'll  repeat  it  ;    I  think  it  is  named 
Chateaux  en  Espagne" 

If  Miss  Russell  had  aimed 

To  capture  his  heart,  she  would  scarcely  have  found 
A  subject  more  fitting.     Kent's  heart  gave  a  bound, 
And  he  stammered   out,  "  Thank  you,"  and  so  she 

began 
To  recite,  in  a  low,  tender  voice. 

Thus  it  ran  : 


"  All  the  world  is  wrapped  in  glory, 

May  not  I  be  happy,  too, 
Rest  my  head  on  crimson  pillows, 
Sail  awhile  o'er  golden  billows, 

Of  the  future  catch  a  view  ? 

"  In  the  dim,  but  sweet  blue  distance, 

I  see  castles,  tall  and  fair, 
Gates  are  opened  for  my  entry ; 
While-,  with  eager  gaze,  the  sentry 

Waits  my  coming  through  the  air. 

"  Entering,  my  eyes  are  dazzled, 

Courtier  knights  around  me  stand, 
Show  the  treasures  they  have  brought  me, 
Tell  how  enemies  that  fought  me 

Have  been  vanquished  by  their  hand. 


36  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

"  On  the  walls  my  arms  are  blazoned, 
Music  sounds  through  marble  halls, 

While  from  fountains,  ever  playing, 

All  my  weariness  allaying, 

One  sweet  shower  of  perfume  falls. 

"  What  is  that  ?     I  hear  a  knocking, 

As  of  waves  against  the  door. 
Ah  !  the  glory  has  departed, 
And  I  drift  back,  broken-hearted, 
For  my  castle  is  no  more." 


At  its  close,  Kent  was  lavish  in  praise  ;  for  his  ear, 
Although  pleased  with  the  words,  had  admired  the 

clear 

And  musical  voice,  the  correct  modulation 
And  rightly  placed  accent.     In  truth,  admiration 
So  made  him  forget,  that  he  scarcely  could  hold, 
His  passion  in  bounds,  and  he  nearly  had  told, 
Then  and  there,  that  he  loved  her.     The  sound  of  a 

bell 
Brought  him  back  to  his  senses,  and  broke  the  mad 

spell. 

The  supper  completed,  the  minutes  flew  fast, 

And  Miss  Russell  was  glad  when  her  father,  at  last, 

Advised  her  to  go  to  her  room. 

She  was  tired 

With  the  novel  excitement ;  it  therefore  required 
But  very  few  words  from  the  fair  Miss  O'D. 
To  rouse  her  to  anger. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  37 

A  person  at  sea, 

To  remain  on  good  terms  with  all  those  on  the  ship, 
From  the  day  that  it  sails  to  the  end  of  the  trip, 
Must  either  be  void  of  combativeness,  or 
His  digestion  is  better  than  when  upon  shore. 
Miss  O'Donoghue  sneered  about  "  some  one's  "  triste 

eyes  ; 

And  in  very  plain  language  expressed  her  surprise 
At  her  boldness  for  going  on  deck  after  dark. 

Miss  Russell  was  vexed,  and  this  hint,  like  a  spark 
Let  to  fall  upon  tinder,  caught,  smouldered,  and  grew, 
Till  her  anger  was  kindled.     She  wisely  refrained 
From  giving  it  vent  on  the  spot,  but  remained, 
For  a  moment,  just  eyeing  her  over  with  scorn, 
Then  turned  into  bed,  feeling  tired  and  worn, 
And  lay  awake,  thinking  how  best  she  might  be 
Avenged  for  this  insult.     Beware,  Miss  O'D.  ! 

The  dull  plash  of  waters,  so  heavy  and  deep, 
When  new  to  the  landsman,  forbids  him  to  sleep  ; 
But  soon  it  will  soothe  him,  as  when  upon  shore 
A  sweet  voice  will  sing  the  same  lullaby  o'er 
Many  times ;  but  no  language  can  ever  explain 
The  charm  of  a  sound — and  again  and  again 
The  poets  have  failed — but  in  this  they  agree, 
That  an  unexplained  secret  lies  hid  in  the  sea. 


SCENE  II. 
A   DISCOVERY  AND  A   PLOT. 


SCENE  II. 

A  DISCOVERY  AND  A  PLOT. 

THE  breath  of  the  morn  blows  from  windward  to  lee, 
Fresh,  cool,  and  salt  with  the  spray  of  the  sea ; 
The  water  is  blue,  and  the  sky  overhead 
Is  wooed  by  the  sunlight.     The  faint  flush  of  red 
Grows  deeper  and  stronger  ;  the  wooer  has  won, 
The  maiden  is  vanquished,  and  day  has  begun. 

The  sails  of  a  yacht  Mr.  Black  calls  "  White  Wings," 
But  we  wonder  whatever  he  'd  call  the  vile  things 
They  hoist  on  a  steamer  ?     Perhaps  he  would  crack 
A  joke  at  expense  of  himself,  and  say  "  Black." 
However,  a  sail  that  had  grown  by  degrees 
To  a  nondescript  color  now  flapped  in  the  breeze. 
The  sea-gulls  that  followed  the  track  of  the  ship, 
Or  took  a  salt  bath  without  waiting  to  strip, 
Were  loud  in  expressing  disgust,  by  their  cries, 
At  the  lateness  of  breakfast.    'Tis  said  that  time  flies, 
But  when  you  are  hungry,  just  say  if  you  feel 
The  remark  to  be  true,  while  you  wait  for  a  meal. 

Three  sailors  were  swabbing  the  deck  ;  two  were  tall, 
Ungainly,  and  lanky,  the  third  one  was  small. 
The  little  one  seemed  to  do  most  of  the  work, 
Which  the  others  were  only  too  willing  to  shirk. 


42  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Mr.  Murray  appeared. 

First  he  looked  at  the  sun, 
And  seeing  how  high  it  was,  started  to  run  ; 
We  suppose  with  the  primary  view  of  attaining 
A  healthy  sea  appetite— his  had  been  waning, 
And  he  did  not  intend  that  the  company  should 
Get  the  better  of  him — let  them  try  if  they  could. 
But  his  eye  caught  the  swabbers  ;  he  stopped,  and 

then  said, 

"  Mop  harder,  my  men,  wake  those  sluggards  in  bed, 
But  don't  wet  the  decks  so,  or  else  they'll  need  wring 
ing, 

And  what  in  the  world  do  you  mean  by  not  singing  ? 
You  call  yourselves  sailors,  and  yet  sing  no  chorus 
While  swabbing  the  deck  ;  all  the  real  sailors  bore  us 
With  long  drawn-out  part-songs.    Heavens!  don't  say 
You  sailors  don't  sing  as  they  do  in  the  play." 

Then  the  little  man  laughed  as  he  said,  "  Sing  sir  ?  No, 
And  we  have  n't  no  words  if  we  wished  to  do  so." 
"  No  words, "he  exclaimed,  with  increased  animation, 
"  By  Jove  !  here's  a  chance  for  a  grand  inspiration." 
He  drew  from  his  pocket  a  note  book,  and  biting 
His  nails  for  a  moment  in  thought,  commenced  writing. 

In  less  than  ten  minutes,  the  words  were  completed, 
And  he  said  to  the  three  merry  sailors,  who  treated 
The  whole  as  a  joke,  "  Avast  there,  ye  lubbers, 
Ye  hitherto  songless,  mute  swabbers  and  scrubbers  ! 
Here  are  words,  and  it  only  remains  to  be  seen, 
If  you  know   the  old  ballad  called    '  God   save   the 
Queen.'  " 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  43 

Then  he  snatched  a  mop-handle  from  one  of  the  long, 
Lazy  swabbers,  and,  swabbing  the    deck,  sang  this 
song  : 

Swabbing  Song. 

Far  from  our  native  land, 
Bravely,  with  mop  in  hand, 

Scour  we  the  seas  ; 
Rising  at  dawn  o'  day, 
Faithful  us  works  away, 
'T  ain't  any  youngster's  play, 

'T  ain't  done  with  ease. 

Over  the  dirty  decks, 

'Most  like  to  break  our  necks, 

At  it  we  keeps  ; 
Never  a  word  we  swear, 
Bravely  we  do  and  dare, 
Lots  do  land-lubbers  care, 

Soundly  they  sleeps. 

Under  the  British  flag, 
Or  any  other  rag, 

Swabs  we  the  same  ; 
Darn  it  !  no  praise  we  get, 
Darn  it  !   our  feet  gets  wet, 
T  is  mighty  hard,  you  bet, 

But  we  dies  game. 

At  the  end  of  the  song,  Mr.  Murray  observed 
A  rather  old  man,  with  an  ample  vest  curved 
Like  a  bow  when  the  arrow  is  drawn  to  its  tip, 


44  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

With  no  beard,  or  whiskers,  or  hair  on  his  lip, 

To  hide  the  defects  of  his  face,  which  was  red, 

And  round  as  the  sun  ;  who,  approaching  him,  said, 

In  a  voice  that  was  husky  with  ill-suppressed  rage, 

"  It  surprises  me,  sir,  in  this  civilized  age, 

To  find  any  one  who  could  wilfully  sing 

Such  bosh  to  our  national  air  ;  't  is  a  thing 

Quite  indecent !     Why,  how  would  you  like  it,  you 

noodle, 

If  I  sang  Rule  Britannia  to  your  Yankee  Doodle  ?  " 
"  I  should  like  it  immensely,"  quite  gravely  said  Mur 
ray, 
"  The  song  would  be  greatly  improved.     What 's  your 

hurry  ?  " 

He  exclaimed  ;  for  the  gentleman,  stamping  his  foot, 
With  a  growl,  and  a  "  Hang  your  impertinence  !  "  put 
A  respectable  distance  between  them.     "  By  Jove  !  " 
Said  the  short  swabber,  "  Ain't  he  a  peppery  cove  ?  " 

"  They  Ve  a  stowaway  for'ard,  a  strapping  big  fellow," 
Said  a  sailor.  "  You  ought  to  have  heard  the  chap 

bellow ; 

He  swore  like  a  trooper.     He's  six-foot,  and  strong 
As  a  limburger  cheese.     You  should  just  go  along 
To  the  steerage,  and  see  for  yourself  if  he  's  not." 
Murray  let  the  mop  fall,  and  was  off  like  a  shot, 
Nearly  killing  the  man  with   the  paunch,  who    had 

growled 

At  the  chorus,  by  knocking  him  over.     He  howled 
And  shook  his  fat  fist  at  the  fleeing  offender, 
Then  rubbed  himself  down  where  he  felt  the  most  ten 
der. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  45 

Near  the  prow  of  the  ship  stood  a  small  knot  of  men, 
And  as  Murray  drew  near  he  heard  one  say,  "  D'  ye 

ken 

Where  ye  are  th'  day,  bairnie,  an'  where  is  yer  hame  ? 
Do  ye  ken  if  your  mammy  's  aboard  !  What 's  yer 

name  ? " 

He  elbowed  his  way  past  the  speaker  and  there 
Saw  no  dangerous  stowaway,  only  a  fair, 
Flaxen-haired,  blue-eyed,  rosy-cheeked,  bright  little 

lad, 

Five  or  six  years  of  age,  and  respectably  clad 
In  a  plain  braided  suit,  but  his  light  hair  was  rough 
And  tangled,  his  collar  was  creased,  and  one  cuff 
Was  spotted  with  tar,  with  which  he  was  trying 
Quite  vainly  to  wipe  off  the  traces  of  crying. 
"  Why,  where    did   you    find    him?"    said    Murray, 

"  poor  baby  !  " 

"  He  's  a  stowaway,  sir,"  said  a  sailor.     "  Eh,  may 
be," 

Replied  Murray  with  warmth,  "  he's  so  old,  is  he  not  ? 
Say,  rather,  a  stowcd-away.      Here,  little  tot, 
What's  your  name  ?  " 

"  Tommy,  sir." 

"  Tommy  what  ?     What's  the  other  ?  " 
"  'T  ain't  nuffin*  a  'tickler." 

"  Good  ;  well,  where's  your  mother  ?  " 
This  started   the  tears.       Murray  stroked   the    boy's 

hair, 

And  said,  "  Tommy  'Tickler,  don't  cry,  my  lad — there, 
You  '11  make  yourself  sick.  Come,  get  up,  and  stand. 
Now  !  That 's  right — what  a  man  !  "  Tommy  put  his 

small  hand 


46  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

In  that  of  his  newly  found  friend,  and  the  two 
Went  in  search  of  the  captain  ;  Tom  minus  a  shoe. 

Captain  Vank  was  at  breakfast,  and  at  his  right  hand 
The  O'Donoghues  sat,  looking  sea-sick  but  grand  ; 
The  ladies  in  light  morning  wraps  trimmed  with  lace. 
The  sea  was  so  calm  that  not  one  had  the  face 
To  pretend  to  be  sick.     When  Murray  advanced, 
Holding  fast  little  Tom,  many  passengers  glanced 
With  surprise  at  the  soiled  little  urchin,  who  drew 
Himself  timidly  back,  shyly  hiding  from  view 
Behind  Mr.  Murray's  long  coat-tails.     "  Look  here," 
Cried  that  gentleman,  drawing  the  boy  from  the  rear, 
And  tenderly  lifting  him  up  from  the  ground, 
"  Look  here,  Captain  Vank,  what  your  sailors  have 

found  !  " 

He  told  all  he  knew  of  the  child,  and  his  name — 
"  Tommy  'Tickler."  "  Now  who,"  he  went  on,  "  is  to 

blame  ? 

Not  the  little  one,  captain.   Come,  what 's  your  decree, 
Will  you  pardon  the  baby,  and  let  him  go  free  ? 
We  can  find  room  for  Tommy  with  us,  can't  we,  Kent  ? 
He  can  share  my  commodious  berth.   You  consent  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Murray,"  the  captain  replied,  "  I  regret 
To  seem  hard  or  unfeeling,  but  then  you  forget 

He  's  a  stowaway.     I  am  responsible " 

"Stay!" 

Exclaimed  Murray,  "  I  guess  we  can  somehow  defray 
The  expense  of  his  passage."     He  set  down  the  lad, 
Took  out  of  his  pocket  the  book  that  he  had, 
And  wrote  his  own  name  at  the  top  of  the  page, 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  47 

Then,  "  $2.00,"  but  changed  it  to  three.    "  I  engage," 
He  went  on,  "  every  one  here  will  add  to  the  list, 
Even  you,  Captain  Vank  ;  come,  you  cannot  resist 
The  temptation." 

"  I  would,"  said  the  captain,  "  but  we 
Have  already  found  two  stowaways.     Can't  you  see, 
If  I  help  one,  I  surely  can  hardly  expect 
The  rest  to  obey,  or  show  any  respect  ?  " 

Indignation  was  written  on  every  one's  face, 

And  some  of  them  muttered,  "  A  shame  !  "    "A  dis 
grace  !  " 

Then  Mr.  O'Donoghue  flourished  his  knife, 

And  called  out,  "Ten  dollars,  for  me  and  my  wife.'* 

"  Ten  dollars  apiece  ?  "  Mr.  Murray  asked  gravely. 

The     gentleman     flushed,    but    he    answered    right 
bravely, 

"  Of  course  !  you  could  not  suppose  that  I  meant 

A  beggarly  ten  for  the  two  ?  " 

Mr.  Kent 

Reached  out  for  the  paper,  to  add  his  own  name, 

When   the   fair  Miss  O'D.  said,  "  Put  me  down  the 
same 

As  papa  and  mamma." 

The  list  went  the  rounds, 

Until    Murray    announced    that    he    had     "Twenty 
pounds !  " 

"  Which  is  one — hun — dred — dollars  collected — not 
bad  ! " 

Said  Mr.  O'Donoghue,  patting  the  lad 

With  a  prim  condescension.     And  lastly  they  sent 

The  paper  along  to  the  portly  old  gent, 


48  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

Whose  face  became  purple  with  rage,  as  he  swore 
That  he  paid  all  his  rates  and  his  taxes  on  shore, 
His  church  tax,  his  poor  tax,  his  school  tax,  and  he — 
By  Jingo  !  he  wouldn't  be  taxed  while  at  sea. 

Miss  Russell  remarked  sotto  voce  : 

"  He  prates, 
For  his  tax-paying  morals  exclude  water  rates." 

The  money  subscribed  was  collected,  and  paid 

At  once  to  the  captain.     A  portion  was  laid 

Aside  for  investment  for  Tom's  future  use. 

The  captain  attempted  no  further  excuse 

For  his  singular  meanness.     So  Tommy  remained 

In  Murray's  own  state-room.     He  rapidly  gained 

The  love  and  the  petting  all  freely  bestow 

On  beautiful  children,  or  children  who  know 

Enough  to  be  funny  or  saucy  ;  but  let 

The  child  be  low-browed  and  low-born,  we  forget 

That,  perhaps,  it  is  far  more  in  need  of  a  friend  ; 

It  has  always  been  so,  will  be  so  till  the  end 

Of  all  time,  we  suppose.     Tommy  'Tickler  was  fair, 

And  had,  as  it  proved,  a  respectable  share 

Of  wit  and  impertinence. 

What  is  so  grand 

As  a  bright  day  at  sea,  just  a  few  leagues  from  land  ? 
The  water  is  witchingly  blue,  and  the  spray 
Hides  the  wrinkles  of  laughter  that  over  it  play ; 
The  sky  is  an  echo,  in  color,  of  sea ; 
The  adventurous  gulls  are  gone  mad  with  the  glee ; 
The  sail  on  the  main-mast  is  filled  by  the  wind ; 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.      ,  49 

The  smoke  is  bewildered  ;  and,  looking  behind, 
We  see,a  broad  pathway  of  pebble-like  foam, 
That  leads,  so  we  fondly  imagine,  to  home. 

The  awning  is  spread,  and  the  passengers  search 

For  corners  to  lounge  in,  secure  from  a  lurch  ; 

Some  make  an  attempt  to  read  novels,  but  no  ! 

The  raciest  seem  incontestably  slow. 

Like  the  beautiful  imp  that  successfully  won 

Good  St.  Anthony's  glance  from  his  book,  so  the  sun, 

The  white  foam  on  the  waves,  the  white  gulls  on  the 

wing, 

The  gay  promenaders — in  short,  everything 
Distracts  their  attention,  and  leads  them  to  look 
In  every  direction,  save  that  of  the  book. 

Unless  a  man  really  wishes  to  be 
The  butt  of  his  fellows,  he  must,  while  at  sea, 
Get  acquainted,  be  sociable  ;  so  it  falls  out, 
Introductions  are  plenty,  or  else  done  without. 

Mr.  Murray  adjusts  Miss  O'Donoghue's  chair, 
And  that  haughty  young  lady,  before  she  's  aware 
Of  the  manifest  inconvenance  of  the  act, 
Is  talking  and  laughing  with  him,  and,  in  fact, 
With  three  or  four  others,  who,  wanting  to  hear 
Mr.  Murray's  remarks,  have  shyly  drawn  near. 

Miss  Russell  was  happy  that  morning,  for  she 
Had  planned  her  revenge  against  fair  Miss  O'D. 
As  she  walked  past  that  lady,  she  purposely  leant 
In  a  fond,  languid  way  on  the  arm  of  young  Kent. 
4 


50  .       OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 


' 


A  few  minutes  later  she  might  have  been  seen 
Promenading  the  deck  with  the  sad  Mr.  Green  ; 
And  then,  some  one  else.     Miss  O'Donoghue  saw 
The  change  in  her  escorts,  and  hastened  to  draw 
An  arrow  of  wit  that  should  strike  at  the  heart 
Of  Christopher  Kent,  whom,  sitting  apart, 
Mr.  Murray  had  striven  in  vain  to  include, 
More  than   once,  in  the  group — but  Kent  feared  to 

intrude. 

Miss  O'Donoghue's  wit  fell  decidedly  flat, 
For  Murray  remarked,  "  Why,  joking  like  that 
Brings  back  to  my  mind  a  tale  that  I  heard, 
And  believe  in  as  true,  although  rather  absurd." 

"  Do  tell  it,"  the  company  cried.     So,  with  face 
As  grave  as  a  judge  in  a  criminal  case, 
And  a  tone  that  defied  a  correct  imitation, 
He  proceeded  at  once  to  recite  this  narration  : 

The  Nine  Suitors. 

"  A  British  ship  at  anchor  lay 
In  the  harbor  of  New  York  ; 
The  stevedores  were  packing  her 

With  Yankee  beef  and  pork. 
Nine  slim  young  men  went  up  the  plank, 

And  they  were  tall  and  good  ; 
But  none  of  them  had  ever  loved, 
They  said  they  never  would  ; 
But  whether  they  would  n't, 
Or  whether  they  could  n't, 
Or  their  mothers  said  they  should  n't, 
The  world  will  never  know. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  51 

"  The  passengers  were  all  on  board, 

The  vessel  got  up  steam, 
And  floated  down  the  river,  like 

The — ah — something  of  a  dream. 
A  pretty  girl  came  up  on  deck 
And  near  the  railing  stood  ; 
She  never  loved  a  fellow-man, 
And  said  she  never  would  ; 
But  whether  she  could  n't, 
Or  whether  she  would  n't, 
Or  her  father  said  she  should  n't, 
The  world  will  never  know. 

"  The  nine  young  men  stood  in  a  row, 

Each  trying  not  to  stare, 
The  lady  looked  embarrassed,  and 

They  offered  her  a  chair. 
The  nine  young  swells  were  very  rich, 

And  it  was  understood 
That  each  of  them  could  marry 
Whatever  girl  he  would  ; 
But  wither  he  could  n't, 
Or  whether  he  would  n't, 
Or  the  lady  said  he  should  n't, 
The  world  will  never  know. 

"  So  things  went  on  as  usual, 

The  weather  soon  grew  thick, 
The  nine  young  men  were  gallant, 

The  pretty  girl  was  sick  ; 
She  certainly  was  charming, 

When  they  brought  her  dainty  food, 


52  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

'  I  'd  eat  it  all  now  really 

And  truly  if  I  could  ;  ' 

But  whether  she  could  n't, 
Or  whether  she  would  n't, 
Or  her  stomach  said  she  should  n't, 

The  world  will  never  know. 

"  The  nine  young  men  came  up  on  deck, 

Each  in  his  Sunday  clo'es, 
And  went  abaft  the  wheel-house, 

In  order  to  propose  ; 
The  lady  had  no  preference, 
But  said  that,  if  she  could, 
She'd  marry  every  one  of  them, 
But  it  was  n't  any  good  ; 
But  whether  she  could  n't, 
Or  whether  she  would  n't, 
Or  that  custom  said  she  should  n't, 
The  world  will  never  know. 

"  The  lady  asked  the  captain  how 

She  ever  should  decide  ?    » 
Said  he,  '  The  love  of  those  young  men 

Should  certainly  be  tried.' 
So,  when  they  all  were  present, 

She  fell  into  the  sea, 
And  eight  of  them  jumped  after  her, 
The  ninth — oh  where  was  he  ? 
Now  whether  he  could  n't  (jump), 
Or  whether  he  would  n't  (swim), 
Or  the  captain  said  he  should  n't  (try), 
The  world  will  never  know. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  53 

"  Once  fairly  out  of  the  water,  she 

Went  up  to  him,  and  said, 
'  Dear  sir,  you  are  a  solid  man, 

And  have  a  level  head  ; 
So,  without  further  parley, 

Or  hint  of  a  pretence, 
I  agree  to  marry  you,  sir, 

For  you  have  common-sense.' 
So  her  father  said  he  could  n't, 
And  her  mother  said  she  would  n't, 
And  the  captain  said  he  should  n't 
Refuse  to  give  consent." 


"  Bravo  !  "  cried  the  gentlemen,  "  give  us  some  more." 

Miss  O'Donoghue  feebly  responded  "  Encore" 

But  Murray  declined  to  continue,  and  said, 

"  I  must  see  if  that  carpenter  fellow  is  dead  ; 

He  promised  to  cut  some  fresh  boards,  and  a  cue ; 

That  was  hours  ago.     I  suppose  all  of  you 

Play  shuffle-board.     Oh,  you  can  quickly  learn  how  ! 

I  '11  shuffle  him  overboard — there  he  comes  now  ! " 

Mr.  Murray  went  off  to  attend  to  the  game, 

When  Miss  Russell,  approaching  him,  called  him  by 

name. 

She  felt  half  ashamed  of  the  ill-natured  slight 
She  had  offered  to  him  on  the  previous  night ; 
Moreover,  she  needed  some  help  in  the  plan 
Of  revenge,  and  she  saw,  in  this  Murray,  the  man 
To  make  it  successful ;  and  women  all  know 
That,  if  to  the  opposite  sex  they  would  show 


54  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Some  mark  of  their  favor,  the  surest  and  best 
Is  to  put  their  executive  gifts  to  the  test. 
In  short,  if  they  wish  for  devotion,  to  win  it 
They  keep  their  admirer  employed  every  minute. 

MISS   RUSSELL. 

You  are  one  of  my  father's  old  friends  ? 

MR.   MURRAY. 

I  suspect 
I  can  claim  longer  friendship  than  you. 

MISS   RUSSELL. 

Quite  correct. 

Now  the  friends  of  my  father  are  mine.     In  a  sense, 
His  old  friends  are  also  my  old  friends,  and  hence, 
You  're  an  old  friend  of  mine,  and  will  prove  it,  I  'm 
sure. 

MR.   MURRAY,  bowing. 

As  a  family  relic  regard  me  secure. 

MISS   RUSSELL. 

Oh,  thanks  !     What  I  want  you  to  do  for  me  now 
Is  to  aid  me  in  vengeance. 

MR.   MURRAY. 

With  pleasure,  but  how 
Will  you  have  it — you  must  have  a  choice,  hot  or 

cold, 
Id  est,  powder  or   steel?      And  you  have  not  yet 

told- 

Not  that  that  matters  much,  whom  it  is  you  propose 
I  shall  victimize. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  55 

MISS   RUSSELL. 

Thank  you  ;  your  readiness  shows 
That  you  understand  perfectly. 

MR.   MURRAY. 

I  now  can  proceed, 
From  a  knowledge  of  detail,  to  do  the  base  deed. 

MISS   RUSSELL. 

But  you  first  must  inform  me,  sir,  whether  or  no 
You  like  Miss  O'Donoghue? 

MR.   MURRAY. 

Let  me  bestow 

A  moment's  reflection,  I  beg.     Altogether, 
Politeness  would  bid  me  reply  to  that,  "  whether." 
But  I  candidly  answer  you  "  No."     And  is  she, 
That  pink  of  perfection,  the  victim  to  be  ? 

MISS   RUSSELL. 

That  "  pink  of  perfection  "  !     Mr.  Murray,  last  night 
She  insulted  me  dreadfully,  out  of  sheer  spite  ; 
I  need  not  repeat  what  she  said,  but  I  long 
To  be  neatly  revenged.      Oh,  I  know  it  is  wrong, 
So  you  need  n't  look  horrified,  sir  !     You  have  seen 
What  a  "  shoddy  "  she  is,  and  her  slovenly  mien, 
In  spite  of  her  riches.      She  toadies  to  wealth, 
She  pretends  to  be  sick,  yet  has  excellent  health, 
She  is  seldom  on  deck,  lest  the  water  may  drench 
Her  fine  clothes,   and  she  drags   that   contemptible 

French 
Into  all  that  she  says. 


56  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

My  idea  is  this  : 

Between  her  and  us  "  commoners  "  yawns  the  abyss 
Of  sham  aristocracy.     Let  us  interweave 
Fact  with  fiction,  and  lead  her  thereby  to  believe 
That  a  real  English  lord  who  has  been  to  the  States 
Is  returning  incognito.     Add  that  he  hates 
With  such  superfine  hatred  things  rude  and  uncouth, 
That,  although  he  had  travelled   from  England,  for 
sooth, 

To  judge  for  himself  of  the  odium  and  scandal 
Attached  to  our  stocks,  he  selected  "  Pan  Handle  " 
As  the  only  one  fit  to  invest  in.     Then  pause, 
And  when  she  asks  why — as  she  will — say,  because 
"  Pan  "  was  ancient  enough  to  be  good,  and  the  name 
Had  a  handle.     You  '11  see,  though  the  joke  may  be 

tame, 

She  will  swallow  it  readily.      Have  you  observed 
A  young  English  passenger  ? 

MR.    MURRAY. 

Paunch  somewhat  curved, 
Head  round  as  a  pumpkin,  face  red  as  a  rose  ? 
Yes,  I  know  him,  for  we  have  had  words,  nay  more — 
blows. 

MISS   RUSSELL. 

Oh,  I  do  not  mean  that  one  ;  his  name,  do  you  know, 
Is  not  on  the  list  of  the  passengers,  so, 
Since  his  size  is  so  great,  let  us  style  him,  I  pray, 
"  Mr.  X — '  unknown  quantity '  "  that  is  to  say. 
But  the  one  I  refer  to  is  handsome  and  tall, 
And  he  speaks  with  that  lazy,  ridiculous  drawl 
Peculiar  to  young  men  of  rank  and  gentility, 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  57 

Who  belong  to,  or  imitate  England's  nobility. 
His  name  is  Hugh  Spencer.     Get  him  to  consent 
To  enact  pseudo-grandeur,  to  any  extent ; 
We  need  tell  no  falsehood,  but  brag  now  and  then 
Of  what  he  could  do,  if  he  chose  to. 

MR.   MURRAY. 

Amen. 

MISS   RUSSELL. 
You  will  help  me  ? 

MR.  MURRAY. 

With  pleasure. 

MISS   RUSSELL. 

And  say,  do  you  think 
Mr.  Spencer  will  help  us  ? 

MR.   MURRAY. 

Yes,  indeed,  and  the  "pink 
Of  perfection  "  had  better  beware,  for  her  fate 
Is  ordained. 

MISS   RUSSELL. 

I  believe  she  will  snap  at  the  bait, 
And  I  think  Mr.  Spencer  looks  waggish  enough 
To  appreciate  fun. 

MR.    MURRAY. 

Yes,  he's  made  of  good  stuff, 
I  am  sure,  for  I  asked  him  five  minutes  ago 
Whether  he  had  been  pleased  with  our  country — as 

though 
It  was  some  patent  nostrum,  and  I  was  collecting 


$8  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Testimonial  letters  to  puff  it.     Reflecting 

A  moment,  he  said,  "  Well,  the  country  's  all  right 

And  the  natives  remarkably  kind  and  polite, 

But  the  cities,  you  know,  are  so  shockingly  planned, 

And  those  deuced  straight  streets  I  really  can't  stand. 

New  York  is  the  best — well,  the  old  part,  I  mean — 

Although  horribly  kept,  as  regards  being  clean. 

But  I  'managed  to  lose  my  way  there,  and  you  see 

I  felt  quite  at  koine." 

MISS  RUSSELL. 

He's  our  man  cap  a  pie, 
As  the  "  pink  of  perfection  "  would  say. 

MR.    MURRAY. 

Out,  adieu 
A  son  grandeur,  mon  amie,  vous  serat  plus  heureux. 

After  luncheon,  the  hours  wore  slowly  away, 
In  spite  of  the  novels,  the  work,  and  the  play, 
Which  one  and  another  successively  tried, 
And  also  successively  threw  to  one  side. 
They  hailed  with  delight  the  significant  smell 
Of  the  soup,  and  went  frantic  at  sound  of  the  bell. 

The  captain  since  morning  had  been  in  disgrace, 
But  now  he  apparently  strove  to  efface 
The  verdict  that  many  had  freely  expressed, 
And  so,  after  dinner,  appeared  at  his  best  ; 
And  while,  at  its  finish,  the  passengers  waited, 
With  a  half-suppressed  yawn,  he  this  story  related  : 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  59 

The  Land-Lubber. 

"  When  the  wind  roars  through  the  cordage,  an'  the 

breakers  are  ahead, 
When  the   ragged  clouds  above  us  are  as  heavy  as  of 

lead, 
An'  the   thunder-bolt  falls  hissin'    in  the  water  close 

at  hand, 
While  we  battle  with  the  tempest,  lads,  we  think  of 

those  on  land. 

"God    help    land-lubbers    all    of  'em  —  white-livered 

souls  they  be, 
Who  quake  an'  shake  whene'er  the  wind  is  blowing 

out  at  sea  ; 

They  little  know  the  pleasure  of  a  tussle  with  the  gale  ; 
Just  let  the    window  rattle,  Lor',  they   tremble  and 

turn  pale. 

"  There  's  some  that  may  have  grit  in  'em,  of  that  I 

have  no  doubt, 
But  then  it  takes  salt  water  for  to  draw  the  true  grit 

out ; 
Yet  I  know  of  one  land-lubber  who,  I  think  you  '11  all 

admit, 
Under  influence  of  salt  water,  displayed  the  proper 

grit. 

"  It  happened  in  September,  lads,  an'  every  man  who 
sails 

Knows  that 's  the  time  o'  year  we  catch  the  equinoc 
tial  gales. 


60  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

We  'd    seen  some  dirty  weather,  but  we   thought  to 

pull  her  through, 
For.  there  were  n't  a  better  cap'n,  no,  nor  yet  a  better 

crew. 

"  But,  just  as  we  were  reck'nin'  that  we  'd  make  land 

in  a  week, 
One  night  the  watch  reported  that  the  ship  had  sprung 

a  leak. 
All  hands  were  piped  on  deck,  an'  the  pumps  were 

worked  with  will, 
But  tho'  we  pumped  for  life  the  water  gained  upon  us 

still. 

"An*    so   the    cap'n    ordered    us   to    cut    the   boats 

adrift, 
An'  swore  that  every  sailor  for  himself  would  have  to 

shift ; 
Says  he,  '  See  to  the  women  first,  or  damned  be  every 

knave 
Who  saves  himself,  may  he  be  lost  on  both  sides  of 

the  grave.' 

"So,  one  by  one,  the  life-boats  were  lowered  down 

the  side, 
Were  filled,  an '  cut  adrift  an'  borne  away  upon  the 

tide  ; 
The  last  was  full  to  sinking  when  the  cap'n  stepped 

aboard, 
An'  says,  says  he,  '  All  safe,  so  far,  pull  off,  an'  thank 

the  Lord.' 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  61 

"  Just  then  our  hearts  were  froze,  lads,  for  a  woman 

with  a  child 
Came  to   the    vessel's   side,    lads,    by   terror    driven 

wild. 
*  For  God's  sake  save  my  babe  ! '  she  cried,  '  an '  don't 

mind  saving  me.' 
But  then  the  boat  could  hold  no  more — there  were  n't 

no  room,  you  see. 

"  At  that,  that  young  land-lubber  (I  believe  a  parson's 

son), 

A  dandy  who  had  al'ays  been  the  butt  of  every  one, 
Says  he,  '  I  Ve   naught  to  live  for,  I   have  sundered 

every  tie, 
I  11  make  room  for  the  two  of  'em.     God  bless  you 

all.     Good-by  ! ' 

"  Before  a  man  could  stop  him  he  had  dived  beneath 

the  waves 
(The  only  kind  of  tombstone  over  lots  of  comrades' 

graves). 
We  saved  the  mother  an'  the  child,  but,  Lor',  our 

hearts  were  sore 
For  that  brave-hearted  lubber  wot  we  never  seen  no 

more. 

"  An'  of  en  when  the  north  wind  beats  all  the  sea  to 

foam, 

An'  I  am  thinking  sadly  of  the  lass  I  've  left  at  home, 
I  think  of  that  land-lubber  an'  again  I  hear  him  cry, 
'  I  '11  make  room  for  the  two  of  'em.     God  bless  you 

all.     Good-by  ! '  " 


62  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

When  the  evening  was  rapidly  changing  to  night, 

In  the  wake  of  the  Empress  the  foam  gleamed  more 

white, 

And  a  dull  yellow  star  now  lifted,  now  sank 
In  the  swirl  of  the  waves  'neath  the  rudder.     The 

clank 
Of  the  chain  grew  more  ghostly,  the  faint  cloud  of 

spray 

Rose  up  like  a  spirit — the  horizon  was  gray, 
East,   west,   north  and   south,    though  the   day  had 

been  clear, 
And  the  stars  shone  but  faintly  ;  the  fog-banks  were 

near. 

The  mermaids  are  holding  in  deepest  sea-caves 
A  holiday  revel,  and  o'er  the  dark  waves 
The  stars  and  the  rockets  sent  up  from  below 
Are  flashing  and  bursting,  and  colored  lights  glow 
For  a  moment,  then  pale  in  the  great  surface-gloom. 
Say,  was  that  the  stroke  of  the  screw,  or  the  boom 
Of  the  reveller's  cannon,  that  dull  heavy  sound? 
In  the  roar  of  the  waters  its  echo  is  drowned. 

Like  a  finely  cut  lens  is  the  stillness  of  night. 

What  seemed  of  no  moment  when  viewed  in  the  light 

Deep  darkness  reveals  to  the  awe-stricken  soul 

To  be  instinct  with  beauty  or  horror,  the  whole 

Being  governed  by  laws  unchanging,  defined. 

We  bow  to  the  mystical  power  of  mind. 

So  Christopher  Kent,  through  the  long  quiet  day 
Had  fancied  his  passions  were  under  his  sway, 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  63 

But  now  all  his  scheming  was  planned  for  this  end — 
To  gain  in  Miss  Russell  a  true  life-long  friend. 
But  at  night,  when  alone  he  looked  into  the  sea, 
The  truth  flashed  upon  him — this  never  could  be. 
Better  far  would  the  ice  of  indifference  prove 
Than  the  warmth  of  mere  friendship  in  place  of  her 

love. 
He  must  leave  her  forever. 

He  measured  his  pace 

To  fit  the  sad  words,  when  with  bright  smiling  face 
Miss  Russell  passed  by  him  with  short  saucy  bow. 
He  turned  in  a  moment.     'T  is  wonderful  how 
When  the  heart  and  the  head  are  at  variance,  let 
The  subject  at  issue  be  suddenly  set 
Confronting  the  two  for  an  instant  decision, 
The  heart  gives  the  word  with  unerring  precision. 

Miss  Russell  was  brimful  of  frolic  and  fun ; 

The  trick  on  the  fair  Miss  O'D.  was  begun. 

She  told  him  the  joke.     But  a  serious  mood 

Still  possessed  him.     And  thus,  when  she  spoke  of  a 

feud, 

And  revenge  for  an  insult,  the  jest  passed  him  by. 
He  took  it  in  earnest,  and  said  in  reply  : 
"  A    wound    from    the    keen    edge    of    satire    soon 

heals, 

But  a  joke  that  is  senseless,  or  worse,  that  conceals 
Sheer  malice  beneath  a  false  sparkle  of  wit, 
Jags  the  spleen  that  it  rankles ;  the  passionate  fit 
In  a  man  may  die  out,  in  a  woman  it  burns 
For  revenge.     She  simulates  friendship,  but  turns 
For  the  blow." 


64  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

There  is  nothing  so  galling  on  earth 
As  to  say  something  smart,  something  really  worth 
A  good  laugh,  and  to  have  it  fall  hopelessly  flat, 
It  annoys  like  the  poisonous  sting  of  a  gnat. 
Miss  Russell  felt  angry,  and  said, 

"  I'll  engage 

Quite  a  fortune  if  ever  you  go  on  the  stage 
As  the  '  Crushed.'     I  presume,  Christopher  Kent, 
Since  you  can't  see  a  joke  you  are  Scotch  by  descent." 
Then   he    saw   his    mistake,    but    the    mischief    was 

done  ; 

When  he  joked  in  return,  she  was  grave  as  a  nun. 
How  he  cursed  his  stupidity  ;  vainly  he  strove 
To  regain  his  lost  footing,  and  with  skill  interwove 
Mirth  with  pathos,  and  finally  said  in  despair, 
"  '  Chateaux  en  Espagne  '  I  can  only  compare 
To   a  beautiful   dream   that  will  haunt  through  the 

day." 
"  Like  that '  Punch,  brothers,  punch  '  of  Mark  Twain's, 

I  dare  say." 

"  Well,  not  quite.     I  have  written  a  sequel.     I  know 
It  has  none  of  the  warmth  of  the  other,  the  glow 
Has  gone  out  of  the  west,  and  I  candidly  own 
The  poem  is  thoroughly  morbid  in  tone. 
But  I  claim  for  the  verses  the  merit  of  truth, 
Though  perhaps  you,  enjoying  the  dreams  of  a  youth 
Unclouded,  or  clouded  with  crimson  and  gold, 
Will  call  it  in  question.     The  story  is  old, 
As  everything  is  that  is  wretchedly  true. 
To  Adam  alone  disenchantment  was  new." 
"  I  never  believed  in  a  preface,"  she  said  ; 
"  Yours  proves  no  exception,  so  please  go  ahead." 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  65 

He  recited  the  lines  without  further  remark, 
The  frown  on  his  face  being  hid  by  the  dark  : 

After  Many    Years. 

<l  On  the  beautiful  '  Isles  of  the  Golden  Mist ' 

That  we  saw  in  the  sunset's  glow, 
Stately  castles  we  all  have  built, 

In  the  years  so  long  ago. 

"  We  have  travelled  far  on  life's  weary  road 
And  have  tried  our  hopes  to  forget, 

But  looming  up  in  the  deep'ning  gloom 
We  see  our  castles  yet. 

"  No  sentry  watches  our  footsteps  slow, 

We  knock  at  the  rusted  gate, 
And  hear  the  bolts,  by  a  feeble  hand 

Undrawn,  as  we  stand  and  wait. 

"  The  marble  hall  is  cold,  and  sends 
A  sting  through  our  blistered  feet ; 

The  cupid,  from  whose  dimpled  hand 
Once  fell  such  odors  sweet, 

"  Lies  broken  and  stained  at  the  fountain's  base. 

And  the  minstrels  we  thought  to  hear 
Are  gone,  but  their  harps,  with  jarring  strings, 

Are  scattered  far  and  near. 

"  I  pass  the  armor  and  pictured  walls, 

I  look  for  a  holy  shrine  ; 
The  noble  face  of  the  one  I  loved, 

Who  only  in  thought  was  mine, 

6 


66  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

"  Is  above  the  altar,  my  chosen  saint, 
To  whom  I  would  dare  to  pray. 

I  pluck  a  leaf  from  the  bitter-sweet 
Round  the  picture,  and  turn  away. 

"  I  lay  it  close  to  my  aching  heart, 
I  kiss  it  and  bathe  it  with  tears  ; 

Poor  soul,  *t  is  the  one  sweet  gift  to  thee 
After  the  hopes  of  years. 

"  The  night  is  deep'ning,  I  must  be  gone ; 

Farewell  to  Castle  Despair. 
I  turn  again  to  the  dusty  road, 

I  am  going— stranger,  where  ?  " 


MISS   RUSSELL. 

"  Do  you  wish  me  to  answer  the  question  ?  If  so 
You  must  cease  to  regard  me  as  a  stranger." 

The  low 
Sweet  voice  thrilled  like  music. 

MR.    KENT. 

"  Yes,  though  I  've  no  right 
I  ask  for  an  answer — pray,  give  it  to-night." 

"  You  have  left,"  she  said  softly,  "the  Castle  Despair, 

Why  not  level  the  walls — 't  is  a  castle  of  air  ? 

Faint  heart  never  won  a  fair  lady  or  fame. 

If  you  wish  wealth  or  honor  establish  your  claim. 

Perseverance  is  surely  the  keystone  of  luck, 

And  fortune  must  favor  the  man  who  has  pluck." 


I 
OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  67 

He  felt  in  a  moment  a  strong  sense  of  power, 
And  replied, 

"  I  will  earnestly  strive  from  this  hour — 
I  will  prove  if  the  poets  have  all  of  them  lied, 
And  no  longer  will  leave  any  pathway  untried. 
God  bless  you  !  " 

He  tenderly  lifted  her  hand, 
Then  kissed  it,  and  wondered,  "Will  she  understand  ?  " 


SCENE  III. 
OFF   THE   BANKS. 


SCENE  III. 

OFF  THE  BANKS. 

"  WHY  who  's  been  a-washin'  ?  "  said  Tommy,  next 

day; 

The  air,  and  the  sea,  and  the  vessel  were  gray 
With   thick,   clammy   mist ;    and   the   deep-throated 

horn 

Was  doing  its  utmost  to  frighten  and  warn. 
The  captain  was  pacing  the  deck,  and  the  men 
Were  silent  and  watchful  ;  again  and  again 
They  lowered  the  bucket,  and  questioned  the  sea, 
To  know  where  the  army  of  icebergs  might  be  ; 
For  the  wind  was  so  chill,  it  was  proof  they  were  near, 
Creeping  up  under  ambush  of  fog,  to  appear 
Right  ahead  of  the  bow,  and  with  deadliest  shock 
To  split  the  great  ship  as  if  struck  on  a  rock. 

Of  the  passengers,  many  were  thoroughly  sick  ; 
The  others  considered  the  weather  too  thick 
For  pleasure  on  deck,  so  the  few  who  were  able 
Brought  pens,  ink,  and  paper,  and  sat  at  the  table. 
Some  opened  those  books  with  the  neatly  lined  pages, 
That  once  in  his  lifetime  each  person  engages 
To  write  up  most  faithfully — let  us  be  just, 
Not  more  than  nine-tenths  of  us  stop  in  disgust. 


72  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Miss  Russell,  with  Christopher  Kent  tete  a  tfoe, 
Was  writing  a  letter  as  follows  : 

"  DEAR  KATE — 

The  length  of  this  letter  will  wholly  depend 
On  the  length  of  the  fog,  but  it  seems  to  extend 
To  the  confines  of  space,  and  for  thickness — I  might 
Add    for   breadth,    weight,    and  density,    color    and 

height — 

'T  is  the  foggiest  fog  I  have  seen  ;  so  I  may 
By  the  time  I  have  finished  be  wrinkled  and  gray. 
When  you  see  any  word  underlined,  don't  suppose 
That  I  meant  to  italicize  ;  every  one  knows 
How  one's  pot-hooks  and  hangers  get  mixed  while  at 

sea — 

The  dash  is  an  effort  I  make  to  cross  '  T.' 
The  vessel  is  dreadfully/?///,  so  no  wonder 
It  rolls.     If  I  make  an  occasional  blunder 
Please  credit  the  ship,  for  it  upsets  my  notions 
With  its  very  erratic  and  violent  motions. 

"The  compartments  on  board  are  called  staterooms, 

you  know ; 

Until  lately  I  knew  not  the  reason,  but  oh  ! 
I  found  from  my  own,  when  I  first  grazed  my  skin, 
It  is  merely  because  of  the  state  they  are  in. 
A  young  lady  of  wealth,  Miss  O'Donoghue,  claims 
Three-quarters  of  mine.     She  is  fertile  in  names 
For  your  friend,  if  I  dare  to  indulge  in  a  joke  ; 
It  is  really  enough  any  saint  to  provoke. 
And  so,  I  have  planned  a  revenge. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  73 

I  let  slip,      • 

In  a  casual  way,  that  we  had  on  board  ship 
An  Englishman,  who,  from  his  dignified  airs, 
We  believed  was  a  nobleman.     Not  that  she  cares 
For  a  title,  oh  no  !     Kate,  you  ought  to  have  seen 
How  she  primped  herself  up,  how  she  altered   her 

mien, 
How  she  made  his  acquaintance,  and  languished  and 

sighed, 

If  he  left  her  a  moment,  and  finally  cried 
Because  he  just  spoke  to  a  lady.     His  name 
Is  Hugh  Spencer,  a  drummer,  but  still,  all  the  same, 
He  acts  out  the  jest  to  perfection. 

Last  night, 

I  chanced  to  be  near  them  on  deck,  out  of  sight, 
But  could  hear  all  they  said.     It  was  something  like 

this: 

SHE. 
"  '  Eh  bon  !  then  the  duchess  is  witty  ?  ' 

HE. 

"  '  Yes,  miss. 

Oh,  the  great  are  all  witty  !     There's  Bertie,  I  mean 
His  Highness,  the  Prince,  eldest  son  of  the  Queen, 
And  heir  to  the  throne,  when  his  money  runs  low, 
Gives  his  right  royal  pockets  a  thundering  blow, 
And  says,  with  a  naivett  charming  to  hear, 
And  in  right  royal  accents  deliciously  clear, 
"  I  wish  that  England  would  expect  this  day, 
Each  man  to  do  his  duty,  and  his  duty  pay." 

"  Then  he  spoke  of  the  latest  society  play, 
And  mentioned,  as  in  a  most  casual  way, 


74  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

His  box  at  the  opera,  spoke  of  his  horse, 

Which  ran  in  the  Derby,  as  matter  of  course, 

His  uncle,  the  Bishop,  his  honorable  cousins, 

And  other  most  noble  relations,  by  dozens. 

His  sneers  at  America  made  me  feel  hot  ; 

I  was  tempted  to  answer  him  there  on  the  spot, 

But  quickly  determined  my  anger  to  choke, 

For  the  sake  of  an  excellent  practical  joke. 

To-day  Miss  O'Donoghue  hugs  the  delusion, 

And  looks  upon  me  as  a  wretched  intrusion, 

Whenever  I  venture  our  room  to  invade. 

The  stewardess  might  be  her  own  private  maid, 

From  the  way  she  employs  her.     She  delivered  a  note 

To  Mr.  Hugh  Spencer.     I  wish  I  could  quote 

From  that  document — well,  I  've  no  doubt, 

That  sooner  or  later  the  truth  will  leak  out, 

But  I  hope  it  will  last  for  a  number  of  days  ; 

I  'd  like  it  to  take  a  most  serious  phase. 


"  Mr.  Murray — a  friend  of  papa's,  as  it  seems, 
In  his  bachelor  days — has  abetted  my  schemes. 
He  's  a  host  in  himself,  and  the  good-will  has  won 
Of  all  those  on  board.     He  is  full  of  his  fun, 
And  vows  that  when  next  the  young  lady  shall  speak 
In  French,  he  will  answer  in  Latin  or  Greek. 
He  is  good,  I  am  sure,  for  he  takes  all  the  care 
Of  a  poor  little  boy — after  giving  his  share 
Toward  his  passage.     The  youngster  was  found 
Stowed  away  on  the  ship.     Mr.  Murray  went  round 
To  each  one  in  person  and  quickly  obtained 
Enough  for  the  voyage,  and  something  remained. 


OVER    THE   SUMMER   SEA.  75 

"  The  man  that  I  think  you  'd  be  apt  to  like  best 
Is  one  Mr.  French.     His  name  might  suggest 
A  nature  quite  different  to  his.     He  is  gruff 
And  outspoken,  though  kindly  enough 
When  kindness  is  needed.      He  's  very  well  read, 
And  certainly  carries  a  clear,  level  head. 
He  's  a  writer  and  critic,  and  puts  me  in  fear 
Lest  I  should  sometime  in  his  novel  appear, 
Not  as  heroine,  oh,  bless  you,  no  !     I  admire 
His  caustic  remarks,  and   I  never  shall  tire 
Of  hearing  him  row  with  the  steward  or  Boots, 
Who  brings  the  wrong  gaiters — to  him  he  imputes 
Every  evil  design  that  a  boy  could  invent, 
And  warns  him,  in  thundering  tones,  to  repent 
Of  his  sins,  ere  he  wretchedly  perish  at  sea, 
And  Boots  is  as  frightened  as  boy  can  well  be. 

"  I  Ve  forgotten  to  tell  you  of  Christopher  Kent, 
A  handsome  young  fellow,  but  not  worth  a  cent, 
To  judge  from  his  clothes,  which  are  shabby  though 

neat ; 

He's  '  a  gentleman  born,'  from  his  head  to  his  feet. 
I  think  he  admires  '  Yours  truly,'  but  then 
We  are  not  at  all  likely  to  see  him  again, 
When  the  voyage  is  over.      He  lives  at  the  East, 
Never  saw  our  dull  town,  and  he  has  not  the  least 
Desire  to  do  so,  I  think.      Well,  my  heart 
Was  long  ago  broken.      'T  is  mended  in  part, 
I  suppose,  or  I  never  could  fairly  be  jolly. 
The  ring  ?      Now  don't  laugh  at  your  old  schoolmate's 

folly. 
I  have  it,  and  kissed  it  the  first  night  at  sea, 


7'.  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

But  then  you  know,  Kate,  that  is  never  to  be, 
And  so  I  've  resolved,  at  least  I  've  a  notion, 
To  bury  the  ring  in  the  depths  of  mid-ocean  ; 
Romantic,  but  sensible,  do  you  not  think  ? 
ileigho  !  there  's  a  lurch  and  there  goes  my  ink." 

"  You  '11  excuse  me,  Miss  Russell,"  said  Christopher 

Kent, 
As  she  finished,  "  while  you  have  been  writing,  I  've 

spent 
An  hour  in  vainly  attempting  to  bring 

My  thoughts  into  focus  to  make " 

"  Will  you  sing," 

Said  the  sad  Mr.  Green,  "  will  you  sing  us  a  song  ?  " 
Here  a  neighboring  chess-player  cried,  "  No,   you  're 

wrong, 

I  took  it,  I  tell  you  ;  go  on  with  the  game." 
"  Make  less  noise,  if  you  please,  you  can  play  all  the 

same," 

Said  the  fat  Mr.  X,  who  was  trying  to  read 
A  statistical  essay,  but  failed  to  succeed  ; 
"  What 's  a  pawn  here  or  there  ?      One  would  think 

you  were  geese." 
"  That  is  right,"  exclaimed  French,  "  make  them  both 

keep  the  piece." 

Bang  went  Tom  at  the  piano  ;  a  bird  in  a  cage 
Went  mad  with  delight.      Mr.  X,  in  a  rage, 
Slammed    his    book    on    the    table,  and     wrathfully 

swore 
He'd  report  every  man-Jack-alive  when  ashore. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  77 

Lounging  lazily  round,  other  passengers  tried 

To  live  through  the  morning  till  lunch  should  provide 

A  way  of  salvation  from  ennui.     An  air 

Of  mutual  misery,  family  care, 

Seemed  resting  on  every  one. 

"  Please  sing  a  song," 
Said  the  sad  Mr.  Green,  once  again. 

"  Pitch  it  strong 

If  you  do,"  Mr.  Murray  said,  taking  a  seat, 
"  Or  we  sha'n't  hear  a  word.     You  '11  do  well  if  you 

beat 

That  remarkable  youth  now  performing  ;   that  child 
Is  a  positive  genius  (putting  it  mild). 
You  'd   have  laughed,  when  I  asked  him   a    minute 

ago 

His  age.     He  said,  swaying  himself  to  and  fro, 
With   his   hands  in  his  pockets,   '  My  mamma   says 

five, 

But  I  say  I  'm  six  !  '     Can't  we  somehow  contrive 
To  get  up  a  game."     Mr..  Green  said  again, 
"  Won't  you  please  sing  a  song  ?  "  but  he  still  begged 

in  vain. 

"  Is  the  fog  clearing  off?  "  asked  Miss  Russell.    "  Oh 

no  !" 

Replied  Murray,  quite  cheerfully,  almost  as  though 
He  enjoyed  it.      "  I  heard  a  good  story  to-day 
Of  Commodore  Judkins,  a  man  whom  they  say 
Disliked  being  bothered  with  questions.     One  night 
Some  ladies — their  sex  takes  especial  delight 
In  propounding  such  riddles,  no  masculine  head 
Can  possibly  guess  them — '  O  Captain,'  they  said, 


78  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

1  Is  there  always  fog  here  at  the  Banks?  '     '  I  don't 

know, 
/  don't  live  here,'  he  said."     "  I  heard  that  years 

ago," 
Exclaimed  fat  Mr.  X.      "Won't    you  please  sing  a 

song  ?  " 

Pleaded  sad  Mr.  Green.     "  Oh  yes,  do,  for  we  long 
For    a    change    of   performance,"    said    Christopher 

Kent; 

"  Tommy's  energy  surely  must  be  well-nigh  spent. 
He  's  a  forcible  player,  good,  once  in  a  while, 
But  it 's  tiresome  hearing  too  much  in  one  style." 

Miss  Russell  arose,  put  her  letter  away, 
And  proceeded  at  once  a  fantasia  to  play. 
She  was  not  a  genius  and  did  not  pretend 
To  musical  flights,  daring  swoops  from  one  end 
Of  the  much-abused  instrument  down  to  the  other. 
She  liked  to  hear  classics,  but  thought  that  the  bother 
Of  learning  to  play  them  must  outweigh  the  pleasure, 
Unless  one  had  plenty  of  tiresome  leisure— 
But   played  what   she    played    with   expression   and 
skill. 

"  Won't  you  please  sing  a  song  ?  "     "  If  you  wish  it  I 

will," 

Miss  Russell  replied,  and  the  sad  Mr.  Green 
Almost  smiled,  and  assumed  a  most  gratified  mien. 
A  ripple  of  notes,  then  a  blending  of  chords, 
And  she  sang,  in  a  low,  plaintive  minor,  these  words  : 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  79 

The  Secret. 

' '  A  wild  rose  grew  on  a  tall  gray  cliff, 

By  the  -side-  of  a  lonely  sea, 
And  sighed,  '  I  could  be  so  happy,  if 

The  secret  would  come  to  me ; 
And  why  should  the  wind  and  the  cruel  sea, 
Know  what  the  fates  have  denied  to  me  ? 

"  '  The  pine-trees  whisper,  they  know  it  well, 

And  the  sea  moans  a  low  reply, 
Then  why  should  the  wind  be  afraid  to  tell, 

And  answer  me  but  with  a  sigh  ? 
And  why  should  the  forest,  the  wind,  the  sea, 
Know  what  the  fates  have  denied  to  me  ?  ' 

"  Two  lovers  came  to  the  tall  gray  cliff, 

And  looked  on  the  lonely  sea ; 
He  said,  'Ah,  my  love,  I  am  happy,  if 

A  token  you  '11  give  to  me.' 
And  the  wild  rose  flung  out  its  perfume  free, 
For  she  said,  '  It  is  coming,  now,  to  me.' 

"  The  maiden  stooped  to  the  sweet  wild  rose, 
While  her  tears  fell  down  like  rain, 

'  Ah,  love,  a  lover  only  knows 
How  much  of  love  is  pain.' 

And  the  wild  rose  sighed,  '  Farewell,  O  sea, 

The  secret  at  last  has  come  to  me.' ' 

Above  the  expressions  of  thanks  and  applause 
Was    heard    Tommy  'Tickler's    small  voice,  without 
pause, 


So  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Exclaiming,  "  Let  me  sing,  let  me  sing,  let  me— 
"  He  's  a  genius,  that  boy  is,"  said  Murray  with  glee. 
"  Go  ahead,  Seflor  Tommy,  Miss  Russell  will  play." 
So  the  youngster  commenced  without  further  delay : 


"  Oh  I  'm  a  little  Welshman, 

My  name  is  Davy  Jones, 
I  'd  be  very  fond  of  cod-fish, 

If  it  was  n't  for  the  bones, 
While  as  to  beef  and  taters, 

They  're  nothing  to  Welsh  rabbits, 
An'  if  a  man  likes  good  Welsh  ale, 

He  's  got  the  best  of  habits." 

All  laughed,  save  the  sad  Mr.  Green  ;  he,  poor  man, 

Never  saw  a  decanter,  beer-pitcher,  or  can, 

Or  heard  doctors  order  their  patients  to  take 

Any  spirit  to  ease  a  sharp  pain  or  dull  ache, 

Or  read  the  account  of  a  vintage  of  wine, 

Without  a  cold  shiver  affecting  his  spine  ; 

And  here  was  a  baby  discoursing  in  song 

Of  the  goodness  of  ale — it  was  shamefully  wrong, 

It  was  scandalous,  it  was  a  horrible  verse, 

It  was  wicked,  and  then,  to  make  matters  still  worse, 

His  elders  had  shown  approbation.      "  I  think," 

He  said,  looking  around  him,  "  the  subject  of  drink 

Is  one  that  should  call  for  abhorrence.     O  boy  ! 

The  liquor  you  praise  in  your  song  will  destroy 

The  brain  of  a  man.      Good  Welsh  ale,  oh,  for  shame  ! 

Let  it  ever,  from  this  time,  become  your  one  aim 

To  try  and  forget  the  bad  song." 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  Si 

"  Let  him  be  !  " 
Mr.    Murray  exclaimed,   quite  enraged  ;  "  don't  you 

see  f 

You  have  made  the  child  cry  ?  don't  go  poking  your 

nose 

Into  others'  affairs  ;  keep  your  sermons  for  those 
Who  at  least  understand,  or,  to  my  way  of  thinking, 
You  will  make  folks  believe  you  yourself  have  been 

drinking." 

If  this  scene  had  continued  at  length,  we  suppose, 
Hotter  words  would  have  led  in  due  season  to  blows, 
But  o'er  the  contestants  and  listeners  a  chill 
Ran  all  of  a  sudden — the  vessel  was  still. 

Like  the  heart  of  a  man  pulsing  heavy  and  deep, 

Unnoticed  when  healthful,  awake  or  asleep 

The  engines  work  on — let  a  motion  but  swerve, 

And  a  terror  will  tingle  through  every  nerve. 

Each  heart,  as  if  signalled,  replies  to  the  shock. 

"  Is    the    vessel  aground?"     "Has    she  struck  on  a 

rock  ?  " 

"  Has  she  come  in  collision  with  ice,  or  with  ship  ?  " 
Such  questions  as  these  sprang  to  every  lip. 

All  rushed  to  the  stairway,  some  sorely  concerned 
With  their  personal  safety  ;  but  Christopher  turned, 
Quick  as  thought,  to  Miss  Russell.     She  stood  with 

one  hand 

Outstretched,  as  if  giving  the  word  of  command 
For  order,  the  other  lay  pressed  on  her  heart, 
To  prevent  it  from  throbbing  too  wildly.     Apart 
6 


82  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

From  the  attitude,  nothing  denoted  alarm  ; 

But  when  Christopher  Kent  laid  his  hand  on  her  arm, 

And   said,    "  Come  on    deck — come    at   once — don't 

stand  here  !  " 
She  trembled,  but  not  from  a  feeling  of  fear. 

There  are  times  in  our  lives  when  we  cannot  conceal 

From  the  dullest  observer  the  passion  we  feel  ; 

Brief  moments    when  soul  can  read  soul — when  the 

mind 

Grasps  a  secret,  and  reads  with  eyes  hitherto  blind  ; 
When  one  counted  as  brave  by  a  look  betrays  fear, 
Or  we  find  a  life's  history  told  in  a  tear  ; 
The  lover  discloses,  by  glance  or  by  tone, 
The  love  that  he  wished  to  continue  unknown. 

So    when   Christopher  said,   "  Come    at  once — don't 

stand  here  !  " 

Miss  Russell  turned  pale,  for  her  sensitive  ear 
Heard  more  than  the  words.      In  an  instant  she  knew 
That  he  loved  her.      She  did  not  love  him,  it  is  true, 
For  although  she  admired  in  secret,  she  thought 
That,  possessed  of  such  person  and  talents,  he  ought 
To  aspire  to  something,  display  an  ambition 
To  rise  from  his  present  dependent  position  ; 
To  be  somebody,  do  something,  act  and  achieve  ; 
To  "let  the  dead  bury  the  dead  "  (not  to  grieve 
For  the  past),  till,  at  length,  he  would  have  to  confess, 
Even  failure  may  point  out  the  road  to  success. 
But  because  of  one  blow,  to  prepare  for  another, 
Like  a  shuttle-cock  weighted  ;  to  wilfully  smother 
The  fire  of  ambition,  because  an  ill-wind 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  83 

Blew  the  smoke  in  his  eyes — it  appeared  to  her  mind 

Mora]  suicide,  murder  of  intellect.     No  ! 

Though  an  apple-tree  break  into  blossom  and  throw 

Its  perfume  abroad  to  the  breeze,  if  the  sun, 

Seeking  apples  in  season  to  redden,  finds  none, 

It  falls  on  a  beautiful  cheat.     And  a  man 

Who  is  gifted  in  wit  and  in  person,  who  can, 

If  he  will,  achieve  greatness,  yet  fails  to  succeed, 

Is  a  beautiful  cheat.     And  to  wed  such  an  one 

To  her  seemed  sheer  folly.     But  the  evil  was  done — 

And  he  loved  her. 

The  first  words  that  rose  to  her  lip 
Were,  "  I  need  no  assistance,  sir,  thank  you,  the  ship 
Is  not  sinking  at  present,"  and  Christopher  Kent, 
Feeling   hurt  by  her  coldness,  bowed   slightly,   and 

went 
By  himself  to  the  deck. 

There  the  passengers  stood 
In  groups,   laughing   and  chatting    as    loud    as   they 

could, 

Each  trying  to  prove  that  he  had  not  shown  fear, 
But  had  gone  to  see  whether  the  weather  was  clear ; 
And  the  reason  he  travelled  so  fast  up  the  stairs 
Had  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  state  of  affairs. 

The  vessel  lay  placidly  floating,  as  though 

It  was  quite  in  the  order  of  things  to  do  so  ; 

And,  soon  after,  the  engines  were  throbbing  again, 

And  all  was  serene.      It  was  perfectly  plain 

That  at  present  the  life-boats  would  not  be  required, 

Although  nobody  knew  what  had  really  transpired. 


84  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

"  But  what  did  they  stop  for?  "  asked  Kent. 

"  Well,  they  say," 

Replied  Murray,  "  it  was  to  inquire  the  way." 
"Oh,   not  so!"   exclaimed  French,   "but  the  gulls 

lagged  behind, 
It  was  merely  that  they  might  catch  up  with  us." 

"Kind 

Of  the  captain, "said  one,  "but  I  don't  believe  it.    I  think 
It  stopped  to  get — pardon  me,  ladies — a  drink." 

This  formed  the  chief  topic  all  day,  added  zest 
To  existence,  and  furnished  a  subject  for  jest, 
And,  in  fact,  proved  a  godsend. 

When  dinner  was  over, 

Mr.  Russell  said,  "  Captain,  no  one  can  discover 
What  we  stopped  for  to-day.     One  passenger  said 
The  propeller  was  broken.     I  often  have  read 
Of  that  happening  lately — what  causes  it,  eh  ?  " 
Captain  Vank,  of  course,  yawned  in  his  usual  way 
Before  saying,  "  I  '11  tell. you  a  legend  about  it, 
You  are  welcome  to  take  it  as  true,  or  to  doubt  it :  " 

The  Broken   Blade  of  the   Bumble   Bee, — A   Salient 
Story  of  the  Saline  Sea. 

"  Oh,  great  was  the  commotion 
In  the  vast  Atlantic  Ocean, 
When  first  a  steam-propeller  churned  its  waters  into 

froth, 

For  the  fishes  had  no  notion 
To  let  any  locomotion 

Disturb  their  rest  and  quiet,  and  were  consequently 
wroth. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  85 

"  Indignantly,  whales  spouted, 
And  the  sprats,  offended,  pouted, 
And  the  nautilus  just  hoisted  up  his  sail  and  scudded 

south  ; 

Shoals  of  porpoises  were  routed, 
And  the  flying-fishes  doubted, 

If  this  were  not  more  dreadful  than  the  shark's  ter 
rific  mouth. 

"  '  Nay,  they  only  imitate  us,' 
Said  a  sole — divine  afflatus 
Having  filled  his  flattened  head — and  he  wagged  his 

flattened  fin, 

'  Present  piscatorial  status  ' — 
Here  a  very  marked  hiatus — 

And  a  shark,  who  smacked    his  chops,   represented 
where  he  'd  been. 

"  Then  a  sound  like  distant  thunder 
Filled  the  shark  with  sudden  wonder, 
And  he  rose  up  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  just  to 

see 

If  it  promised  any  plunder, 
But  was  nearly  cut  asunder 

By  the  biggest  screw-ship   sailing,  aptly  named   the 
Bumble  Bee. 

"  Comprehending  his  position, 
With  surprising  expedition 

He  resolved  upon  revenge,  for  the  screw  had  hurt  his 
back ; 


86  OVER    THI-:   SUMMER   SEA. 

He  was  fired  with  ambition 
Of  the  sailor's  superstition 

To  avail  himself,  and   so  he  turned  and  followed  in 
their  track. 

"  That  they  met  its  expectation 

Were  but  supererogation, 
For  when  did  sailor  doubt  a  superstition  of  the  sea  ? 

They  were  filled  with  perturbation, 

For  by  ratiocination 

They  were  sure  one  of  their  number  that  shark's  food 
would  have  to  be. 

"  Came  the  mate  to  their  assistance, 

And  remarked,  '  The  mere  existence 
Of  a  shark  proves  nothing  further  than  the  fact   that 
there  is  one  ; 

If  you  wish  him  at  a  distance, 

By  a  very  slight  resistance 
To  the  dread  decree  of  fate  I  believe  it  may  be  done.' 

"  In  a  speech  somewhat  scholastic, 

And  a  trifle  too  bombastic, 

He  proposed  to  stuff  a  hammock  with  rejected  crusts 
and  bran, 

Necessarily  made  plastic, 

And  sufficiently  elastic, 
To  represent  the  body  of  a  dear,  departed  man. 

"  '  Read  the  service,'  said  he.    '  Gracious  '. 
It  may  prove  more  efficacious 

If  the  shark  is  as  intelligent  as  you  would  make  it 
out ; 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  87 

If  his  appetite  's  voracious, 
He  will  not  be  so  sagacious 

As  to  taste  before  he  bolts  it,  and  will  leave  us  then, 
no  doubt.' 


"  This  idea  they  executed, 
And  a  search  was  instituted 
For  material,  and  each    man  overhauled  his  private 

chest  ; 

And  the  fact  is  undisputed 
That  the  sailors  substituted 

For  '  crusts  and  bran  '  some  articles  much  harder  to 
digest. 

"  When  they  launched  the  curiosity, 
On  account  of  its  porosity 
It   sank   beneath    the    waters,    but   the   shark    more 

quickly  still, 

With  remarkable  velocity, 
And  a  savage,  grim  ferocity, 

Just  snapped  his  jaws,  and  swallowed  half,  as  it  had 
been  a  pill. 

"  For  a  minute's  brief  duration, 
Like  a  bear  in  hibernation, 

It  seemed  to  all  appearance  as  if  life  were  quite  ex 
tinct, 

But  a  tremulous  vibration, 
And  a  long-drawn  respiration, 

Filled  the  crew  with  consternation,  and  the  monster 
turned  and  winked. 


88  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

"  .Without  perambulation, 
It  performed  a  swift  gyration, 
And  bit  the  screw,  and  broke  it  off,  which  stopped 

the  Bumble  Bee. 
And  that  's  the  explanation, 
Why,  in  modern  navigation, 

Propeller-blades  get  broken — it  's  the  shark's  revenge, 
you  see." 


SCENE  IV. 
A   MIDNIGHT   MYSTERY. 


SCENE   IV. 

A  MIDNIGHT  MYSTERY. 

The  Gulf  Stream. 

THERE'S  a  broad  and  beautiful  river, 
That  is  born  'neath  a  tropical  sky, 

That  inherits  the  wonderful  color, 

And  the  warmth  of  its  heart  thereby. 

For  a  thousand  leagues  do  its  waters 

Ride  over  the  ocean  cold, 
Like  a  sweet  and  wilful  woman, 

Who  ruleth  a  bridegroom  old. 

Like  a  woman,  it  has  its  treasures, 
Some  worthless,  useless  things, 

Like  a  woman,  it  has  a  sorrow, 
That  out  of  its  nature  springs. 

For  the  deep,  blue,  tropical  current 
Flings  itself  at  the  icebergs'  feet  ; 

And  the  sunshine  of  life  is  clouded, 
While  the  woman  has  learned  deceit. 

But  the  woman  will  smile  as  ever, 

And  the  river  be  clear  on  the  morrow, 

And  men  in  the  distant  north-land, 
Never  dream  of  the  by-gone  sorrow. 


92  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Mr.  Green  had,  throughout  twenty  years  of  his  life, 

Gone  hither  and  thither  in  search  of  a  wife  ; 

He  wanted  to  marry,  he  had  made  up  his  mind 

That  for  single  existence  he  was  not  designed. 

The  lady  must  not  be  too  young  nor  too  old, 

She  must  be  a  beauty,  not  bashful  nor  bold, 

Inclined  to  religion,  devout  but  not  prim, 

And  leaving  the  form  of  her  credo  to  him. 

He  searched  many  years,  but  the  few  he  admired 

Had  never  come  up  to  the  standard  required. 

He  did  not  believe  in  the  arrows  of  Cupid  ; 

Such  Pagan  ideas  he  regarded  as  stupid. 

A  wag  had  remarked,  if  a  heart  he  possessed, 

It  must  be  a  square,  or  a  circle  at  best. 

He  was  nearing  the  fifties,  a  few  streaks  of  gray 

In  his  crisp  chestnut  hair  warned  him  not  to  delay  ; 

So,  trusting  in  Heaven  to  lead  him  aright, 

He  determined  to  marry  for  love  at  first  sight ; 

So  he  chuckled  in  secret,  and  looked  all  about 

For  the  lady  in  question.      She  would  be,  no  doubt, 

Unlike  in  some  points  to  the  ideal  painted, 

But  prove  quite  correct  when  still  better  acquainted. 

His  sister  most  wisely  endorsed  his  decision, 

Instead  of  defeating  his  plans  by  derision ; 

She  was   odd,  but    unselfish,  and    loved    this    one 

brother, 
As  she  never  had  loved,  or  could  love  another. 

By  some  subtle  power,  most  strange  to  relate, 

She  hit  on  Miss  Russell  as  being  his  fate. 

So,  speaking  to  John  in  a  sisterly  way, 

She  found  him  quite  willing,  although,  truth  to  say, 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  93 

He  never  had  thought  of  the  lady  before  ; 

He  seemed  to  think  courting  confined  to  the  shore. 

Not  up  to  the  tricks  that  a  stripling  would  know, 
He  set  out  at  once  his  devotion  to  show, 
In  a  dignified  manner  that  suited  his  carriage, 
But  never  could  possibly  lead  to  a  marriage. 

Trust  a  woman  the  symptoms  of  love  to  detect 

In  a  man  whom  his  fellows  would  never  suspect. 

Miss  Green  had  discovered,  with  no  small  alarm, 

That  Christopher  Kent  had  come  under  the  charm 

Of  the  lady  designed  for  her  brother.      She  knew 

All  the  points  in  his  favor,  and  understood,  too, 

That  money  is  nothing  to  beauty  and  grace, 

And  a  girl  is  most  often  in  love  with  a  face  ; 

Yea,  many  a  virgin,  if  foolish   or  wise, 

Will  plague  her  dear  heart  to  please  her  bright  eyes. 

She  must  somehow  contrive,  then,  to  keep  them  apart. 

Miss  Green  was  a  spinster,  and  had  not  the  art 

Of  pleasing  the  youthful ;  they  always  felt  bored, 

Whenever  her  presence  could  not  be  ignored  ; 

The  girls  looked  upon  her,  as  most  of  them  look 

On  an  old-fashioned  novel  or  souvenir  book, 

With  a  touch  of  compassion  for  ancient  young  beaux, 

Who  could  take  any  pleasure  in  such  things  as  those  ; 

"The  boys,"  as  Miss  Green  named  those  under  two 

score, 
Thought  much  as  the  girls  did,  and  probably  more. 

Mr.  Green  was  a  man  who  never  was  troubled 
By  colic  or  conscience.     His  fortune  had  doubled 


94  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Without  any  worry  from  him.     So  he  slept 

From  the  moment  that  into  his  bed  he  once  crept 

Till  daylight  ;  and,  therefore,  was  one  of  those  bores, 

Whom  most  of  humanity  justly  abhors, 

Who  spend  half  their  own  time  and  ours  in  despising 

Those  who  will  not  admit  there  is  virtue  in  rising 

Some  hours  before  any  work  is  required, 

And  never  believe  that  a  man  can  be  tired. 

Of  those  whom  he  lectured  some  angry  ones  said, 

They  believed  Mr.  Green  lay  awake  in  his  bed 

The  whole,  or,  at  least,  fully  half  of  the  night, 

To  be  able  to  say  he  was  up  at  daylight. 

Give  a  dog  a  bad  name  and  he  some  day  will  earn  it ; 
Warn  a  child  of  a  sin  and  he  quickly  will  learn  it  ; 
Tell  a  man  of  a  trick  you  suppose  h«  has  played, 
And  your  trust  in  his  shrewdness  will  soon  be  repaid. 
Mr.  Green  lay  awake  all  that  night,  without  winking, 
Like  others  he  slept  not,  because  he  was  thinking. 
He  was  thinking,  quite  calmly,  about  his  past  life, 
And  thinking  with  pride  of  the  excellent  wife 
Who  loomed  in prospcctu,  and  thinking  in  vain 
How  best  to  approach  her  and  make  matters  plain. 

From  restlessly  tossing  and  twisting  and  turning, 
Now  seized  with  a  feverish  thirst,  now  a  yearning 
For  some  one  to  talk  to,  now  haunted  by  faces 
That  flitted  before  him  with  mocking  grimaces, 
Now  trying  to  deafen  his  ears  to  the  roaring 
That  came  from  the  engines,  or  somebody  snoring, 
Now  wishing  for  death  and  a  tombstone  and  willow 
Weeping  greenly  above  him,  now  pounding  his  pillow, 


OVER    THE   SUMMER  SEA.  95 

As  hot  as  a  doughnut  just  out  of  the  skillet, 
Now  hunting  a  flea  with  intention  to  kill  it, 
Rose  at  length  in  despair,  went  on  deck,  arid  began 
To  pace  up  and  down,  thinking  still  of  some  plan 
By  which  he  might  win  the  young  lady's  affection, 
And  overcome  any  decided  objection. 

The  cobwebs  of  sleep  veiled  his  eyes,  and  the  night 
Still  shrouded  the  vessel  in  gloom  ;  here  a  light 
Made  the  darkness  yet  darker.     He  tripped  up  and 

stumbled 

Over  cordage  and  canvas,  and  finally  tumbled 
Full  length  on  the  deck.     A  projecting  spike  tore 
A  large  hole  in  his  coat. 

Mr.  Green  never  swore, 

But  the  language  he  used,  although  strictly  sabbatic, 
Had  a  dubious  sound.     When  the  tone  is  emphatic, 
"  Bless  my  soul !  "  may  not  mean  bless  my  soul,  but 

the  phrase 
Is  as  balm  to  the  overwrought  feelings,  and  pays. 

Mr.  Murray  appeared  in  a  state  of  undress, 

And  asked  what  he  meant  by  such  dashed  foolishness. 

"  The  fact  is,"  replied  Mr.  Green,  as  he  rose, 

And  stanched  the  red  life  stream  that  flowed    from 

his  nose, 

"  I  tried  hard  to  sleep,  but  I  could  n't,  and  so 
I  came  up  on  deck,  just  to  get  a  slight  blow." 
"Well,  it  seems  that  you  got  it,"  cried  Murray,  who 

never 

Let  a  chance  for  a  joke  pass  unnoticed.     "  However, 
If  you  cannot  sleep,  there  are  others  who  can  ; 


96  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

You  're  a  dog  in  the  manger,  a  mean  black  and  tan." 
"  Had  he  said  black  and  blue,"  thought  the  sad  Mr. 

Green, 
"  He  'd  have  spoken  the  truth,  and  I  'm  sure  I  'm  not 

mean." 

But  he  made  no  retort ;  and  when  once  more  alone, 
He  tried  to  sit  down,  but  the  act  made  him  groan. 
He  was  stiff  in  the  knees  and  the  back  and  one  hand, 
And,  though  tired,  determined  'twere  better  to  stand. 
But  the  cold  morning  air  made  him  shiver  and  shake, 
And  forced  him  to  walk.     Still  he  tried  not  to  wake 
The  fortunate  sleepers  below. 

Once  again, 

The  thoughts  of  Miss  Russell  and  love  filled  his  brain, 
And  soon  he  unwittingly  quickened  his  pace, 
Until  you  'd  have  thought  he  was  running  a  race. 
"  Avast  there  !  "  cried  French,  who  now  came  to  the 

deck, 
"  Stop  !  you  '11  shiver  your  timbers,  become  a  blank 

wreck  ; 
There    are   terrors   enough   here    at   sea  ;  don't   add 

more  ; 

Pray  keep  contests  in  walking  confined  to  the  shore." 
Here  the  stout  Mr.  X,  pushing  past  him,  exclaimed — 
With  sundry  embellishments  not  to  be  named — 
"You  Aristotelian  peripatetic  ! 

Don't  you  know  you  are  serving  a  wholesale  emetic 
To  all  aboard  ship,  with  your  ^wj-founded  stamping, 
Everlastingly  pounding,  and  kicking,  and  stamping  ? 
You  beastly  somnambulist  !     Wake  up  and  go 
To  your  bed,  as  you  ought  to.     You  hear  ?     Get  be 
low  !  " 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  97 

Mr.  Green  slunk  away,  feeling  humble  and  sad, 
And,  perhaps,  for  so  meek  a  man,  "  awfully  mad." 

Determined  to  get  into  no  further  row, 

He  skated  across  the  wet  decks  to  the  bow, 

And  gazed  at  the  sunrise  just  brightening  the  east, 

Then  turned  to  go  back,  in  the  hope  that,  at  least, 

He  could,  before  breakfast,  obtain  some  repose ; 

When  a  sailor  stepped  forward,  and  chalked  his  poor 

toes. 

He  had  not  a  farthing  about  him,  just  then, 
But  promised  to  pay  them,  again  and  again, 
Till  the  sailors  agreed,  with  the  greatest  urbanity, 
To  pass  him  as  "dead-head" — they  questioned   his 

sanity. 

He  fell  down  the  stairs,  and  at  last  tumbled  in, 
As  his  room-mate  inquired,  "  where  on  earth  "  he  had 

been. 

Meanwhile,  the  unconscious  and  innocent  girl 
Who  put  Mr.  Green  and  the  rest  in  a  whirl 
Was  sleeping  as  soundly  as  dreams  would  allow. 
She  awoke  With  a  start,  "  Oh  no,  Walter,  not  now  !  " 
Had  burst  from  her  lips  ere  she  knew  it ;  and  she 
Rose  quickly  to  see  if  her  foe,  Miss  O'D., 
Had  heard  the  confession.     That  fine  lady  snored, 
As  loud  as  her  father  each  week  at  the  Board. 
Her  secret  was  safe.     "  It  was  all  a  mistake," 
She  said  to  herself,  being  fairly  awake. 
"  I  loved  him  ;  but  had  he  been  master  and  king 
Of  my  life,  as  he  should  be,  no  person  or  thing, 
In  heaven  or  earth,  could  have  kept  us  apart. 
7 


98  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

I  can  think  it  all  over  with  calmness  of  heart. 
'T  is  better  ;  for,  if  we  had  married,  by  now, 
Alas  !  he  or  I  would  have  broken  the  vow 
'  To  love  and  to  cherish.'     I  cannot  complain, 
But  wonder,  will  love  come  so  near  me  again  ?  " 

k 

She  looked  at  the  sea  through  the  dull  glassy  eye 

Of  the  port-hole,  and  saw  the  blue  waves  dancing  by. 

How  is  it  that  blue  in  the  sea  or  the  sky, 

Blue  lit  by  the  sunshine,  will  oft  satisfy 

A  feeling  of  want  in  man's  soul,  and  will  still 

That  nameless,  intangible  forecast  of  ill  ? 

Miss  Russell,  accepting  the  promise  of  good, 

Resolved  to  let  fate  do  the  worst  that  it  could. 

There  was  nothing,  as  yet,  very  dreadful  in  view, 

Nor  yet  in  the  future,  so  far  as  she  knew. 

"  Miss  Russell,  a  game  ?  "  Mr.  Murray  inquired. 
"  Yes,  perhaps  so,  that  is  if  I  am  not  too  tired." 
She  was  walking  the  deck  with  the  sad  Mr.  Green. 
There  was  something  on  hand,  that  was  plain  to  be 

seen. 

That  hero,  his  coat  having  neatly  been  mended, 
And  apologies  made  to  the  men  he  'd  offended, 
Had  gone  in  for  business,  at  business-like  hours, 
And,  soon  after  breakfast,  exerted  his  powers 
Of  flowery  eloquence,  reason,  and  sense  ; 
For  in  three  or  four  days  he  must  somehow  condense 
A  genuine  courtship  and  subsequent  winning  ; 
So  he  straightway  began  at  the  very  beginning 
Of  all  things,  and  talked  first  of  Adam  and  Eve, 
And  the  points  that  he  did  and  he  did  not  believe  ; 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  99 

He  was  orthodox,  truly,  and  learned,  but  then 
He  would  not  accept  the  traditions  of  men. 
With  facts  he  was  perfectly  willing  to  grapple, 
But  it  nowhere  was  stated  the  fruit  was  an  apple. 

Miss  Russell  accepted  the  argument  tamely. 

She  had  but  one  object  that  morning — 't  was,  namely, 

To  free  herself  wholly  from  Christopher  Kent ; 

So  she  shunned  every  place  he  was  wont  to  frequent. 

("  Mr.  French  has  forestalled  him,  thank  goodness  ! 

and  now 

The  two  walk  away  for  a  smoke  toward  the  bow.") 
So  dropping  theology,  straightway  she  came 
To  Murray,  who  gave  them  a  place  in  the  game. 

Kent's  heart  was  so  heavy,  the  beautiful  day 

By  him  was  unnoticed.     When  fairly  away 

From  the  chattering  crowd,  Mr.  French  closely  eyed, 

Before  speaking,  the  gloomy  young  man  at  his  side. 

MR.  FRENCH. 

You  seem  sad. 

MR.  KENT. 
I  have  cause  to  be. 

MR.   FRENCH. 

Cause,  my  dear  boy  ! 

Youth  should  blush  to  be  sad,  youth  was  made  to  en 
joy. 

A  scratch  on  the  hand,  or  a  blow  from  a  ball — 
Kiss  the  one,  bathe  the  other,  't  is  gone — that  is  all. 
Cause  forsooth  !     Has  Miss  Blank  (heartless  chit  of 
two-score) 


ioo  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Run  off  with  the  General  ?  parbleu,  there  are  more  ; 

And  your  heart  is  not  broken,  nor  life  at  an  end. 

It 's  your  head  that  is  cracked ;  give  it  time,  it  will 

mend. 
Cause,  my  boy — when  you're  my  age,  you'll  sorrow, 

in  truth, 
That   you  shadowed  your  life  with  mock  sorrow  in 

youth. 

I  accused  you  before,  you  remember,  of  drinking  ; 
But  I  know  your  complaint,  now,  young  man — it  is 

thinking. 
That's  a  clear  diagnosis. 

MR.  KENT. 

Perhaps,  you  are  right. 

But  a  tree  may  be  stunted  by  frost  or  by  blight ; 
And  a  heart  may  grow  old,  though  the  head  is  still 
young. 

MR.  FRENCH. 

And  consumptives  grow  jolly  and  fat  on  one  lung. 
It  is  all  how  we  take  things.     The  man  I  admire 
Is  he  who,  supposing  his  coat  catches  fire, 
Flings  it  off,  never  stopping  to  worry  or  bother, 
And  goes  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  till  fate  sends  him  an 
other. 

But  you — you  sit  hugging  your  doldrums,  until 
You  no  longer  rule,  but  are  ruled  by  your  will. 
To  the  fiends  with  regret !  take  the  world  as  you  find  it ! 
If  it  is  n't  quite  smooth  here  and  there,  never  mind  it. 
But  I  don't  mean  to  lecture,  I  'm  not  a  divine, 
And  dull  homiletics  are  not  in  my  line. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  101 

But,  hang  it,  I  like  you,  and  can't  bear  to  see 
This  tragic  dejection.     Come — own  it 's  a  She. 

MR.   KENT. 

Yes,  and  no  !     I  can  tell  you  the  whole  in  a  word  : 
I  love  where  I  never  can  win. 

MR.  FRENCH. 

That 's  absurd  ! 
That 's  the  course  of  true  love,  that 's  the  pith  of  the 

game  ! 

Take  romance  from  love,  the  result 's  very  tame  ; 
Like  a  salad — mixed  solely  to  look  at  no  doubt — 
With  the  succulent  onion,  of  all  things,  left  out. 
Heaven  would  not  be  heaven  without  there  was  hell ; 
We  never  should  know  what  it  was  to  be  well, 
If  we  never  were  sick. 

MR.   KENT. 

Ah  the  cap  does  not  fit, 
Though  it  looks  very  likely,  I  freely  admit. 
To  the  fiends,  as  you  say,  with  regret  !  but,  see  here, 
You  cannot  advise,  till  the  case  is  made  clear. 
Imprimis  !  I  love — she  I  love  has  great  wealth  ; 
While  I  possess  nothing  but  brains  and  good  health. 
Secundo,  the  little  I  earn  is  not  mine  ; 
I, am  bound  to  remain  what  I  am,  for,  in  fine, 
If  I  leave  my  employment  and  struggle  to  rise, 
My  father  would  perish.     Now,  would  it  be  wise 

To • 

MR.    FRENCH. 

To  propose  ?     Most  decidedly  !  what  can  she 

say  ? 
She  cannot  do  more  than  refuse,  and  she  may — 


103  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Mark    my  words,   she  may  jump   at  the  offer,  who 

knows  ? 

And  you  never  can  tell,  if  you  do  not  propose. 
Of  course,  she  may  think  you  are  after  her  money  ; 
One  must   risk  being   stung,   when  prospecting    for 

honey. 

MR.    KENT. 

Heaven  send  such  a  counsellor,  always.     I  own 
You  have  made  me  ashamed  of  myself;  to  atone, 
Let  me  promise  to  put  it  at  once  to  the  test. 

MR.    FRENCH. 

How  at  once  ?     Such  a  promise  would  be  but  a  jest. 
Before  you  get  back  to  your  books  and  your  stool, 
There  is  plenty  of  time  for  your  courage  to  cool. 
I  can  picture  your  inward  misgiving,  your  pallor, 
Because,  like  Bob  Acres,  you  feel  your  new  valor 
"  Oozing  out,  as  it  were,  at  the  palms  of  your  hands." 
There,  I  don't  mean  to  twit  you,  no  one  understands 
Your  sensations  much  better  than  I  do  ;  my  case 
Was  like  yours.     I  had  hard  work  to  keep  a  straight 

face 

When  that  queer  old  fish,  Russell,  advised  me  to  marry 
And  settle  in  life,  for,  by  the  Lord  Harry, 
I  am  married.     /  won  by  asking. 

MR.    KENT. 

Indeed ! 
MR.   FRENCH. 

Yes  ;  try  brass,  there  is  nothing  so  sure  to  succeed. 
But  my  love  was  true  as  a  school-girl's  for  candy ; 
Still,  I  found  the  hard  cash  my  bride  brought  me  come 
handy. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  103 

MR.    KENT. 
I  '11  meet  candor  with  candor. 

MR.   FRENCH. 

That  proves  your  head's  level. 

MR.    KENT. 

The  lady  I  love  is  Miss  Russell. 

MR.   FRENCH. 

The  devil ! 

No,  I  did  not  mean  that,  pray,  excuse  me — I  meant — 
I  intended — the  news  quite  surprised  me.  But,  Kent, 
What  possesses  you  ?  Thunder  !  Miss  Russell !  why, 

she — 

She — surely  you  two  are  not  suited.     You  see, 
The  young  lady,  although  very  charming  and  clever, 
Is  rather  coquettish  and  wilful,  and  never 
Would  make  a  man  happy  ;  at  least  so  I  think  ; 
I  believe  I  would  stand  for  awhile  on  the  brink 

MR.    KENT. 
That 's  my  business. 

MR.    FRENCH. 

Oh,  yes  ! 

And,  of  course,  I  may  wrong  her;  although,  I  con 
fess 

That  a  man  must  be  deeply  in  love  who  will  wed 
A  lady  who  keeps  one  forever  in  dread 
Of  what  she  may  do  the  next  minute  ;  but,  still, 
My  opinion,  I  know  well  beforehand,  is  nil. 
But  I  '11  help  you.     Don't  think  my  opinions  too  crass  ; 
Let  the  contract  be  ratified,  straightway,  in  Bass. 


104  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

The  game  proved  a  long  one  ;  the  contest  was  heated, 
As  were  the  contestants.     Miss  Russell  defeated 
By  one  coup  de  main  her  opponents  ;  they  doubted 
Its  fairness,  but  then  they  were  thoroughly  routed 
By  the  sober  expressions  of  sad  Mr.  Green, 
Who  said  their  suspicions  were  owing  to  spleen, 
That  Miss    Russell  —  and    so    forth;  in  short,   'twas 

agreed 

She  was  rightfully  victor.     They  asked  her  to  lead 
In  another  to  give  them  "  some  sort  of  a  show  ;  " 
But  the  lady  declined,  and  was  going  below 
When  the  bell  (oh,  the  blessing  its  loud  tingle  brings 
To  the  blastf  or  hungry  whenever  it  rings) — 
When  the  bell,  the  dear  bell,  put  an  end  to  appeal, 
And  banished  chagrin  that  some  could  not  conceal. 

A  headache  and  mending  Miss  Russell  had  pleaded, 
When  luncheon  was  over.     Had  she  known  it,  she 

needed  , 

No  pretence,  no  scheming  ;  for  Christopher  Kent 
Kept  out  of  her  way  with  as  fixed  an  intent 
As  her  own.     She  had  nervously  sat  at  the  meal, 
With  eyes  that  looked  from  him,  yet  saw  him.     We 

feel 

Ourselves  wrongfully  humbled,  as  if  in  disgrace, 
By  a  glance  that  is  purposely  turned  from  our  face. 

With  a  book  French  had  lent  him  Kent  strolled  off 

to  read. 

Mr.  Green,  feeling  sure  he  was  bound  to  succeed, 
Sat,  Bible  in  hand,  in  the  sunniest  spot, 
Chuckling  all  to  himself,  and  in  toto  forgot 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  105 

The    heat    and  surroundings.     His  great  feet    were 

crossed 

And  his  fat  thumbs  were  markers,  although  he  had  lost, 
Long  since,  the  connection. 

The  fair  Miss  O'D. 

Was  posing  most  prettily  watching  the  sea, 
With  a  sweet,  dreamy  look,  and  was  trying  to  keep 
The  dreams  a  pretence — she  was  almost  asleep  ; 
For  Mr.  Hugh  Spencer  preferred,  between  whiles, 
Certain  other  small  games,  and  to  win  other  smiles. 

Mr.  French  had  crawled  under  a  life-boat,  and  sat 
With  the  bowl  of  his  pipe  and  the  rim  of  his  hat 
In  dange'rous  nearness — a  book  on  his  knees, 
The  leaves  left  unturned,  except  by  the  breeze  ; 
For  French  was  engaged  in  the  deepest  of  thought. 
He  wished  to  serve  Kent,  and  yet  felt  that  he  ought 
To  think  more  than  once,  ere  he  dabbled  in  such 
An  affair  dtflarcceur  ;  and,  moreover,  his  touch, 
He  knew,  was  clumsy.     "A  woman  could  do  it," 
He  thought  to  himself,  "  but,  poor  fellow,  he'll  rue  it 
If  I  intermeddle  !     I'll  tackle  the  father  ; 
He  likes  our  young  friend,  has  a  sympathy,  rather, 
For  struggling  young  fellows  ;  admits  he  was  poor 
In  his  young  days  himself ;  he  will  help  him,  I  'm  sure." 

The  day  has  grown  hotter.    The  blue  waves  are  curled, 

Like  leaves  by  a  furnace.     With  sails  partly  furled, 

The  nautilus  lazily  floats.     The  dark  weed 

Sags  heavily  downward  ;  and  even  the  speed 

Of  the  vessel  seems  slackened.     With  pitiless  dart 


106  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

The  sun  makes  the  black  blood  gush  thick  from  her 

heart. 

The  sea  is  a  desert ;  the  pale,  cloudless  sky 
Holds  no  pleasant  mirage  for  the  traveller's  eye  ; 
But,  near  the  horizon,  on  every  hand, 
The  long  line  of  gray  looks  like  ridges  of  sand. 
When,  suddenly,  out  of  the  nothingness  springs 
A  wreath  of  black  smoke,  and  a  levelled  glass  brings 
A  homeward-bound  steamer  in  sight.     Like  a  flash, 
The  news  is  sent  over  the  Empress.     A  dash 
Is  made  for  the  stern  ;  and  the  passengers  bother 
The  captain,  the  sailors,  and  question  each  other 
As  to  name,  destination,  and  whence  she  has  come ; 
And  the  merriest  sigh,  thinking  fondly  of  home. 
The  vessels  draw  near,  and  the  messages  fly — 
Bright  sentences  writ  on  the  scroll  of  the  sky. 

Their  drowsiness  broken  the  voyagers  chaffed, 
Made  light  of  the  heat,  and  chatted  and  laughed, 
Till   the  shadows  grew   long,  and    the  soft   evening 

breeze 
Deluged  deck  and  saloon  with  its  coolness. 

At  ease 

Sat  the  captain  long  after  the  dinner  was  done, 
Yawning  wider  than  ever,  and  graciously  spun 
The  toughest  of  yarns  that  a  sailor  could  spin, 
With  an  air  that  made  doubting  a  word  seem  a  sin. 
We  give  it  verbatim,  and  leave  it  to  you 
To  prove  it  a  fable,  or  take  it  as  true  : 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  107 

The  Devil-  Tree. 

"A   Boston   missionary-man,    of   comely   form   and 

slender, 
Who,  in  his  youth,  had  often  been  upon  a  downright 

'  bender,' 

But  now  with  heart  regenerate,  in  No.  I  condition, 
Started  upon  a  soul  survey,  and  convert  expedition  ; 
And,  after  trying  various  lands,  from  Cape  Horn  to 

Alaska, 

Engaged  a  berth  upon  a  vessel  bound  for  Madagascar. 
But  when  the  shore  lay  in  their  wake,  the  ship  rolled 

in  her  track  oh  ! 
Sea-sickness  stopped  his  pet  pursuit,  which  was  to 

chaw  tobacco. 
But  when  he  saw  the  sea  had  ceased  unpleasantly 

seesawing, 
He  left  his  bed  with  thankfulness,  and  took  once  more 

to  chawing  ; 
And  lifted  up  his  voice  in  praise,  as  the  soft  zephyr 

breezes 

Brought  them,  at  length,  in  sight  o'  land  and  Mada 
gascar  trees^s. 

"  Oh,  how  those   noble  savages,  of  every  age   and 

gender, 
Howled  at  that  missionary-man,  so  comely  and   so 

slender  ! 
But  when  they  saw  him  chewing,  then  they  kneeled 

and  kissed  his  bunions, 
Nor  thought  of  missionary-stew  or  roast  with  sage  and 

onions. 


io8  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Then  right  and  left,  throughout  the  land,  that  young 

and  slender  preacher 
Blazed  forth  didactic  eloquence,  eclipsing  Mr.  Beech- 

er  ; 
And  many  were  the  converts  made  beneath  his  able 

preaching, 
But  oh,  alas  !  that  good  young  man  grew  somewhat 

over-reaching. 

"  Radama,  the  most  powerful  of  all  the  ruling  princes, 

Had  a  quite  too  too  daughter,  who  bedecked  herself 
in  chintzes  ; 

And  what  with  style,  and  boasting,  too,  accomplish 
ments  by  dozens, 

Eclipsed  the  other  island  belles,  and  all  her  noble  cou 
sins. 

And  that  young  preacher  followed  her,  until  Radama's 
daughter 

Returned  his  love,  and  even  wished  the  brief  engage 
ment  shorter. 

But  old  Radama,  hating  this  young  moral  son-in-law, 
sir, 

Resolved,  at  first,  to  swing  him  at  the  end  of  a  stout 
hawser ; 

But,  after  much  reflection,  he  concluded  not  to  do  so, 

And  deemed  it  better  that  he  should  live  by  himself, 
like  Crusoe. 

"  Then  grieving  in  his  in'ards,  at  the  loss  of  his  '  soul's 
treasure ' 

(And  not  at  all  agreeing  with  her  father's  hasty  meas 
ure), 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  109 

That  missionary  met  his  love,  and  swore  that,  if  he 
ever 

Forgot  her,  might  he  never — most  emphatically 
never  ! — 

Know  aught  of  joy  or  happiness,  but  always  pain  and 
sorrow ; 

And  so  worked  on  her  feelings  that  she  promised  on 
the  morrow 

To  run  away  from  '  Pa  '  and  '  Ma,'  and  marry  that 
young  fellow. 

And  in  response  he  kissed  her  brow — which  was  less 
white  than  yellow. 

Then,  arm  in  arm,  beneath  the  trees  they  wandered 
toward  the  city, 

Which,  judging  from  the  sequel,  was  decidedly  a 
pity; 

For,  as  they  neared  one  awful  tree,  unknown  to  other 
nations, 

Which  gobbles  up  whole  animals  for  ordinary  ra 
tions, 

So  deeply  were  they  buried  in  their  loving  tittle- 
tattle, 

They  neither  saw  the  closing  leaves,  nor  heard  the 
warning  rattle  ; 

Until,  at  length,  in  tight  embrace,  the  tight'ning  foli 
age  held  'em, 

And  held  them  tight,  as  if  such  meals  came  in  its  way 
but  seldom. 

Then,  satisfaction  and  delight  most  hugely  manifest 
ing, 

The  missionary  and  his  love  that  tree  commenced  di 
gesting." 


no  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

When  the  laughter  subsided  the  fair  Miss  O'D. 
Said,  "  Captain,  please  tell  us  how  long  it  will  be 
Before  we  get  half  way  across." 

Captain  Vank, 

After  yawning,  as  usual,  replied,  "  To  be  frank, 
We  shall  reach  the  mid-ocean  at  eight  bells  to-night." 
The  announcement  was  hailed  with   unbounded  de 
light. 
"Odd   Zooks !  "    exclaimed    French,   with   a   laugh, 

"  Mr.  Green, 

Bid  good-by  to  your  teetotal  views,  for  between 
That  point  and  old  Ireland  you  '11  be,  sad  to  say, 
Half  seas  over.     You  'd  better  begin  right  away, 
Get  your  hand  in." 

Miss  Russell  that  evening  alone 
In  her  stateroom  sat  thinking. 

"  This,  this  will  atone 

For  the  love  that  has  lingered  too  long  in  my  heart, 
Its  existence  a  sin  in  itself.     When  the  smart 
Left  the  wound,  I  believed  all  was  over  and  past  ; 
But  the  scar  still  remained.     I  will  triumph  at  last. 
While  I  own  these  two  trinkets — this  picture,   this 

ring— 

I  cannot  forget  you.     Oh,  Walter!  they  sting 
My  paralyzed  heart,  the  heart  living  yet  dead, 
Its  life-blood  still  pulsing,  its  passion  long  fled. 
Hear  this  cry  from  the  soul  thou  hast  cruelly  slain  ! 
In  the  years  now  gone  by,  I  had  willingly  lain 
My  heart  at  thy  feet,  and  you  bruised  it !     Then  fate 
Metamorphosed  my  love  into  bitterest  hate. 
At  midnight,  while  happier  eyes  are  asleep, 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  in 

By  the  light  of  the  stars,  in  mid-sea's  deepest  deep, 
As  I  flung  your  base  lie  in  your  teeth,  to  be  free, 
I  will  fling  these  last  tokens  of  love  in  the  sea. 

"  There  are  they  that  would  curse  you,  but  no  !  I  be 
lieve 

Man  moulds  his  own  curse  when   he  strives  to  de 
ceive  ; 

Hand  in  hand  travel  sin  and  its  punishment,  so 

I  left  you  uncursed. 

That  seems  ages  ago. 

Three    months  !    only  three  ?     But   what  wonder   it 
seems 

Three  years  ?  for  the  years  pass  in  moments  in  dreams, 

And  I  have  been  dreaming  since  then. 

"  When  you  went 

From  the  door  the  last  time,  and  the  delicate  scent 
Of  the  flowers  I  crushed  'neath  my  heel  in  my  wrath, 
Stole  over  my  senses,  I  knew  that  the  path 
I  had  travelled  was  ended.     I  mentally  died, 
And  arose  a  new  woman — a  gulf  deep  and  wide 
Cut  me  off  from  the  past.     'T  was  a  minute,  or  less  ; 
Yet  it  seemed  like  an  age.     The  poor  flowers,  ah, 

yes  ! 
They  were  crushed,  like  my  heart,  for  no  fault  of  their 

own, 

But  their  fragrance  still  breathed,  though  their  beauty- 
had  flown  ; 
And  though  altered  I  'm  living." 

She  gazed  for  awhile 
On  the  picture,  and  then,  with  a  pitiless  smile, 


ii2  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Tore  the  card  into   fragments  ;  and  these,  with  the 

ring, 

She  bound  in  a  handkerchief,  tied  it  with  string, 
And  said,  "  There  's  a  Nihilist's  bomb — now,  I  trust 
It  will  hit  some  tyrannical  merman  and — '  bust.' ' 
She  could  not  be  serious  long. 

Miss  O'D. 

Here  entered  the  room.  They  could  never  agree, 
So  Miss  Russell  said  nothing,  but  slipped  into  bed 
And  pretended  to  sleep. 

The  monotonous  tread 

Of  the  late  promenaders  soon  ceased,  and  the  light 
Flickered  feebly  and  died.     All  was  hushed  for  the 

night. 

As  the  eight  bells  were  striking,  she  stealthily  crept 
From  her  room.     The  saloon  was  in  darkness,  except 
At  one  end,  where  a  lamp,  with  its  wick  turned  down 

low, 

Shed  just  enough  light  round  about  it  to  show 
What  it  was.     When  her  eyes  grew  more  used  to  the 

gloom 

She  recognized  objects  in  parts  of  the  room, 
Familiar  enough  in  the  day,  that  appeared 
In  the  palpable  darkness  uncanny  and  weird. 
The  racks  that  were  pendant — like  bacchanals  hung 
With    their    wine-cups    adorning  them    mockingly — 

swung 

To  and  fro,  spectral  shadows.     The  close,  stifling  air 
Seemed  haunted  by  cheese-parings,  stale  bills  of  fare, 
And  unconsumed  oil.     Every  rafter  and  beam 
Loudly  creaked,  as  if  racked  by  a  hideous  dream. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  113 

The  sleepers  breathed  heavily,  now  and  again 
One  babbled  inanely  or  groaned  at  some  pain, 
While  the  restless  propeller  made  everything  shake, 
As  if  the  poor  Empress  had  managed  to  take 
A  touch  of  the  ague. 

Miss  Russell  was  bold, 
But  the  darkness  oppressed  her.     The  air  felt  quite 

cold 

As  she  went  upon  deck.     In  the  blackness  of  night 
The  sea  and  the  vessel  looked  ghostly,  despite 
The  glimmering  lamps,  that  at  intervals  shone 
Like  stars  hurled  from  heaven  to  wander  alone. 
More  closely  around  her  the  thick  cloak  she  drew 
As  she  went  to  the  side:     No  one  saw  her,  she  knew, 
Yet  she  nervously  glanced  to  the  right  and  the  left, 
As  if  she  contemplated  murder  or  theft. 
Then  throwing  the  package  far  into  the  sea, 
She  murmured,  "  Farewell,  my  dead  love  ;  I  am  free  !  " 

As  she  turned  to  go  back,  she  beheld  with  dismay 

The  form  of  a  man  standing  right  in  her  way. 

Her  words  must  have  reached  him.     She  trembled 

with  shame. 

He  approached  her  in  silence.     As  nearer  he  came, 
She' recognized  Christopher  Kent;  and  a  hate 
As  black  as  the  darkness,  as  cruel  as  fate, 
Sprang  up  in  her  heart.     "  How  dare  he  ?     What 

right 

Had  he  to  be  prowling  on  deck  in  the  night 
To  spy  on  her  actions  ?     She  trembling  advanced 
And  purposely  pushed  up  against  him,  then  glanced 
With  a  look  of  such  fierceness  and  rage  in  her  eyes 
8 


ii4  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

That  Kent  could  not  speak  for  the  shock  of  surprise. 
Ere  he  summoned  a  word,  she  was  gone,  and  the  sea 
Cried  with  demonish  voice, 

"  It  is  given  to  me, 

It  is  given  to  me  the  dark  secret  to  keep  ; 
You  never  shall  know  it.     Sleep,  wretched  one,  sleep, 
And  dream  of  the  same !  but  you  never  shall  know 
What  was  given  to  me — what  lies  fathoms  below 
The  waters  you  question.     Sleep,  wretched  one,  sleep, 
And  dream  of  the  mystery  hid  in  the  deep." 


SCENE  V. 
CONCERNING  MR.  GREEN. 


SCENE   V. 

CONCERNING  MR.  GREEN. 

IN  snow-capped  peaks  the  billows  rise  ; 
And  clouds  drive  fast  through  dull  gray  skies  ; 
Black  caverns  yawn  with  walls  of  green, 
And  foam,  that  trickling  down  between 
The  curving  roof  and  fretted  sides, 
Stalactites  forms — the  water  glides 
Stealthy  and  strong — a  shock,  and  then 
The  cavern  is  a  hill  again. 

i 

The  Sunday  had  passed — the  majority  do, 
An  infliction  to  many,  a  pleasure  to  few. 
Not  much  had  occurred  as  the  sad  old  world  spun, 
In  its  slightly  monotonous  waltz,  round  the  sun. 
Mr.  Green  had  tried  hard  to  quench  mundane  desire, 
But  Cupid,  alas,  gave  a  poke  to  the  fire  ; 
After  fingering  each  moral  sinew  and  muscle, 
He  had  had  to  give  way,  and  admire  Miss  Russell. 

Mr.  Kent  had  been  driven  half  mad  in  the  night, 
For  he  knew  she  misjudged  him.     Had  he  not  the 

right 
To  sleep  upon  deck  if  he  chose  to  ?     But  no  ! 


n8  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

She  thought  he  had  followed  her — Heavens  !  as  though 
He  would  spy  on  her  actions.    His  cheeks  flushed  with 

shame  ; 

And  what  had  he  learned  ?    He  had  heard  her  exclaim, 
As  she  threw  something  overboard  into  the  sea, 
With  an  evident  sigh  of  relief,  "  I  am  free  !  " 
And  the  words  might  be  weighty  with  meaning,  't  was 

true, 

But  were  likelier  harmless.     They  gave  him  no  clue 
To  the  mystery.     What  did  he  care  ? 

Thus,  all  the  day, 
He  had  striven  again  to  keep  out  of  her  way. 

If  he  left  her  alone  for  awhile — so  he  thought — 
She  would  see  her  injustice. 

He  manfully  sought 

For  a  way  to  forget  it,  and,  capturing  Tom, 
He  ransacked  the  annals  of  all  Christendom, 
Drawing  largely  on  fiction  to  lend  them  a  smack, 
Winning  rapturous  plaudits  by  giving  the  quack, 
When  he  told  of    the    strange    "  Ugly    Duckling," 

whose  neck 
Grew  prodigiously  long. 

They  had  sat  upon  deck, 
Till   the  air  became  cold  ;  but  Tom  begged  for  one 

more, 
And  Kent  cried,  "  Not  to-night,  you  've  exhausted  my 

store, 

You  must  pack  off  to  bed — but  I  '11  give  you  one  song, 
It  is  not  very  short  and  is  not  very  long  : 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  119 

"  What  if  the  stars  shine  not  by  day, 

If  they  work  all  night, 

By  twinkling  bright, 
.    To  make  the  world  light, 
Surely,  you  'd  grant  them  some  time  for  play  ? 

"  What,  if  when  dew  the  roses  steep, 

The  soft  night  wind 

Can  no  perfume  find, 

Would  you  be  unkind  ? 
Surely,  you  'd  grant  them  some  time  for  sleep  ? 

"  What  if  when  winter  chills  the  breast 

Of  the  flowing  river, 

Though  it  make  you\shiver, 

Would  you  have  it  evW 
Flow  without  ceasing,  with  no  time  for  rest  ? 

"  Grumble  not,  Tom,  we  all  should  be  dead, 

Stars  fall  from  the  sky, 

The  roses  would  die, 

And  the  river  run  dry, 
If  none  of  them  rested  ;  so — pack  off  to  bed." 


Miss  Russell  sat  with  her  father,  quite  near, 
But,  from  common  politeness,  had  tried  not  to  hear. 
Hearty  laughter  is  catching — a  jolly  disease, 
That  will  cure  many  others  ;  and  so,  by  degrees, 
She  found  herself  laughing  at  Tom  's  merry  laugh, 
And  listening,  laughed  at  the  stories,  though  half 
Were  old  as  the  hills.     When  Kent  finished  she  rose, 
And,  feeling  ashamed  of  herself,  we  suppose, 


i2o  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Said,  in  passing,   "  I  thank    you  ;  how  could  I  help 

hearing, 

You  told  them  so  splendidly  ?  "  Then,  disappearing, 
Left  Kent  in  a  trance  of  delight. 

O  ye  gods ! 

Women  fish  for  men's  hearts,  it  is  certain,  with  rods  ; 
For  they  use  them  one  minute  to  strike  with,  and  then 
If  they  rebait  the  hook,  the  fools  nibble  again. 

The  irksome  restraint  of  the  Sabbath  withdrawn, 
The  checkers  and  shuffleboard  broke  with  the  dawn  ; 
The  novels,  the  quoits,  and  the  games  without  num 
ber, 

Awoke  from  their  short  but  compulsory  slumber ; 
And,  although  the  sky  threatened  to  turn  into  rain, 
All  seemed  in  a  rollicking,  boisterous  vein. 
Miss  Green  and  Miss  Russell  together  were  sitting, 
Intent  on  some  lace  which  the  former  was  knitting. 
Miss  Russell  was  trying  to  fathom  the  art 
Of  purling  and  looping.     Miss  Green,  for  her  part, 
Proved  a  very  bad  teacher,  as  might  be  expected, 
Her  closest  directions  were  so  disconnected. 
She  was  trying  to  learn  if  Miss  Russell  was  fitted 
To  marry  her  brother.     That  lady  outwitted 
Her  questioner  thoroughly  ;  no  preconceived  plan 
Will  baffle  so  surely  as  ignorance  can  ; 
Besides,  she  was  happy.     Her  words,  "  I  am  free," 
Meant  more  than  she  thought  for  ;  the  hard  penalty 
Of  keeping  our  keepsakes  is  heart-ache  and  tears, 
For  sorrows  that  ought  to  lie  deep  'neath  the  years, 
In  low  grassy  graves  left  unmarked  by  a  stone, 
And  covered  by  flowers  submission  has  sown. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  121 

The  amende  honorable  to  Christopher  Kent 

Had  also  been  offered,  and  taken  as  meant  ; 

So  she  laughed  at  Miss  Green  when  that  good  lady 

sighed, 
Little  dreaming  how  sorely  her  patience  was  tried. 

MISS   RUSSELL. 

0  yes  !  I  know  how  to  make  puddings  and  pies — 
Chain  of  two— 

MISS    GREEN. 
No,  chain  three. 

MISS  RUSSELL. 

Bother  !  where  are  my  eyes  ? 

MISS   GREEN. 

Could  you  give  me  a  good  plain  receipt  ?     John  is  fond 
Of  any  boiled  puddings.     Take  the  stitch,  next  be 
yond. 

MISS  RUSSELL. 

1  have  some  receipts,  but,  I  frankly  confess, 
Boiled  puddings,  in  my  hands,  are  not  a  success  ; 
I  put  in  too  much,  when  the  bag  is  too  small, 
Yet,  if  I  try  less,  then  the  whole  thing  will  fall; 
When  pudding  and  bag  are  both  fitted  right  well, 
My  nostrils  are  always  assailed  with  the  smell 

Of  burning.     I  know  when,  alas  !   't  is  too  late, 
I  omitted  to  put  in  the  requisite  plate. 
To  "  keep  the  pot  boiling  "  quite  taxes  my  powers  ; 
So,  as  to  boiled  puddings — we  always  bake  ours. 


122  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

MISS  GREEN. 

What  remarkable  spirits  you  have,  my  dear  girl. 
I  declare  that  I  envy  you. 

MISS  RUSSELL. 

Drop  one,  then  purl — 
I  am  dreadfully  stupid  ! 

MISS  GREEN. 

You  joke  in  the  style 
So  familiar  to  us  in  the  Emerald  Isle. 
I  am  sure  you  will  like  it. 

MISS  RUSSELL. 

The  country,  you  mean  ? 
I  hear  everything  there,  save  the  natives,  is  green. 

MISS   GREEN. 
John  and  I  are  exceptions  ;  but  what 's  in  a  name  ? 

MISS  RUSSELL. 

Do  you  mean,  were  it  Jones,  you  'd  be  green  all  the 
same  ? 

MISS    GREEN. 
I  am  sure  you  would  like  it. 

MISS  RUSSELL. 

Oh  yes  !  our  trip  there 
Will  be  charming,  I  know. 


'OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  123 

MISS    GREEN. 

Now,  my  dear,  that's  not  fair. 
I  mean  you  would  like  it  for  longer  than  that  ; 
You  would  so  like  the  Irish. 

MISS  RUSSELL. 

My  heart  does  pity-pat 
When  I  meet  one  that 's  handsome. 

MISS   GREEN. 

Fie  !     Do  you  like  John  ? 
He  's  a  man  to  be  trusted,  depend  upon. 

MISS   RUSSELL. 

One  can  see  that,  the  moment  one  looks  in  his  face. 
I  like  him,  of  course — I  am  spoiling  your  lace, 
Knitting  on  in  this  fashion. 

MISS  GREEN. 

Go  on,  never  mind, 

It  will  ravel.      Dear  John  is  so  loving  and  kind. 
Do  you  really  like  John  ? 

MISS    RUSSELL. 

Why,  yes  ;  to  be  sure, 
Not  as  you  do. 

MISS   GREEN. 

His  life  has  been  honest  and  pure 
From  his  boyhood,  and  always  to  mother  and  me 
He  has  been  all  that  son  or  that  brother  could  be. 
I  wish  he  would  marry  and  settle  in  life. 


124  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

MISS  RUSSELL. 
I  should  think  you  'd  be  jealous — I  would — of  his  wife. 

Mr.  Murray  cut  short  their  prolonged  conversation, 
And  thereby  prevented  a  sad  complication  ; 
For  Miss  Russell  saw  plainly  her  questioner's  aim, 
And  threatened  to  play  a  most  delicate  game. 


Some  days  back,  poor  Murray  was  plunged  in  despair, 
Tom's  clothes  were  so  dreadfully  out  of  repair. 
Miss  Green,  with  good  nature  that  equalled  her  skill, 
Made  him  decent  again,  and  kept  him  so,  still. 
Mr.  Murray  was  grateful,  and  showered  attention 
Upon  the  good  lady  too  often  to  mention. 
And  she  liked  him,  for,  if  at  odd  times  he  was  rough, 
He  was  genuine,  made  of  the  old-fashioned  stuff 
That  would  stand  wind  and  weather.     And,  as  to  his 

heart, 
He  had  proved   that  was   good,  when  he  took  the 

child's  part, 

And  stood  between  him  and  adversity.     "  Pshaw," 
He  cried  briskly,  "  they  seem  as  afraid  of  the  law 
As  if  they  were  criminals.      Strive  as  I  will 
To  get  up  an  evening's  amusement,  yet  still 
Hardly  any  will  join  me.     I  want  a  '  Mock  Trial.' 
You  two  must  assist.      Come,  I  '11  take  no  denial." 
"  We  will  help  you,  of  course,"  said  Miss  Green,  "  but 

you  '11  find 

I,  at  least,  shall  be  stupid.     Ah  well  !  never  mind, 
Perhaps  they  will  laugh  at  my  blunders." 


OVER    THE   SUMMER   SEA.  125 

"I  say," 

Whispered  Murray,  "just  notice,  they're  coming  this 
way." 

He  referred  to  Hugh  Spencer  and  fair  Miss  O'D., 

Who  approached  them.      It  really  was  painful  to  see 

The  languishing,  limp,  lackadaisical  state — 

That  had  certainly  been  on  the  increase  of  late — 

Of  the  lady  in  question.      Her  simpering  smile 

Was  enough  to  upset  any  honest  man's  bile. 

Close  behind  them,  like  satellites,  arm  in  arm,  came 

Her  parents,  as  if  to  remove  any  blame 

That  perchance  might  attach  to  their  daughter.    Their 

gait 

Was  heavy  and  solemn.     As  people  of  weight, 
They  never  did  anything  quickly.      We  know 
Aristocracy,  fast  though  it  may  be,  is  slow. 
Mr.  Murray,  unmindful  of  etiquette  quite, 
Called  out,  "  Will  you  help  us,  you  people,  to-night  ?  " 
Miss  O'D.  slightly  turned,  and  then  went  on  her  way, 
While  Mr.  O'D.  and  his  wife  stopped.    "  A  play, 
A  mock  trial — a  lawsuit.     We  wish  to  bring  out 
Native  talent.  Your  daughter  will  help  us,  no  doubt  ?  " 
The  gentleman,  shocked  beyond  measure,  restrained, 
With  evident  effort,  his  temper,  and  deigned 
To  say  in  a  manner  intended  to  quell 
Mr.  Murray,  "  I  thought  our  donation  would  tell 
How  willing  we  were  to  contribute — but,  sir, 
I  hope  you  '11  not  mention  the  subject  to  her  ; 
'T  is  an  insult  I  pardon,  because,  sir,  I  must. 
It  arises  from  ignorance,  solely,  I  trust." 
But  Murray  was  not  to  be  sat  upon  thus. 


126  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

"  Oh,  come  now,"  he  said,  "  what 's  the  use  of  a  fuss  ? 
I  have  heard  the  young  princes  have  often  indulged 
In  private  theatricals.     Spencer  divulged 
That  important  state  secret.  Your  daughter  may  come 
I  suppose,  to  our  shindy,  if  he  "11  see  her  home." 

A  fabulous  figure  would  Mr.  O'D. 

Have  given  to  purchase  the  gift  repartee. 

He  was  not  a  fool — no  man  is  who  makes  money, 

But  fortunes  are  rarely  amassed  by  the  funny  ; 

Life  to  them  is  a  jest,  as  'twas  said  of  the  poet, 

That,  living  he  thought  so,  death  helped  him  to  know 

it; 

And  working  and  saving  are  far  from  a  jest ; 
A  man  must  decide  for  himself  which  is  best. 
In  spite  of  their  parvenu  grandeur  and  pride, 
At  all  times  had  Mr.  O'Donoghue  tried 
To  act  like  a  gentleman,  so  being  loath, 
For  the  sake  of  the  ladies,  to  bring  out  an  oath, 
He  made  no  reply,  but,  with  undisguised  growl, 
He  turned  on  his  heel  with  an  ominous  scowl. 

"Well.  I  swear!"  Mr.  Murray  cried,  laughing  out 
right, 

"  How  remarkably  fine  !  how  extremely  polite  ! 

A  Yankee  aristocrat  !     Well,  now,  I  swear  ! 

I  am  thankful  the  animal  still  remains  rare. 

Ah  !  our  friend  Mr.  Kent,  that  's  a  change  for  the 
better. 

Why,  what  are  you  writing — an  essay,  a  letter, 

A  treatise  on  Humbug,  or — come  let  us  hear  ! 

Are  you  making  a  sketch  of  your  future  career  ?  " 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  127 

(Mr.  Kent,  as  he  passed  them,  had  hid  in  his  coat 
Some  paper.)     "  We  need  a  good,  strong  antidote  ; 
We  are  all  of  us  poisoned  ;  that  blatant  old  fool 
Has  dosed  us  with  shoddy.    We  want  something  cool, 
Something  really  refreshing — what  is  it,  a  song  ? 
You  must  read  it,  unless  it  is  dreadfully  wrong, 
Something  highly  improper." 

"  Oh,  no  !  it  is  verse, 
Just  a  jingle    of  rhymes,"    replied   Kent,    "  nothing 

worse." 
"  Let  us  have  it,"  said   Murray,  "  and,  by  all  that  's 

good, 
Here  is   Russell — sit  down,  sir — '  you  could  an'  you 

would.'  " 

So  Kent  drew  forth  the  paper,  and,  after  proceeding 
To  beg  their  indulgence  for  style,  commenced  reading: 

The   Palmer. 

"  Three  friars  were  sitting  in  conclave  together, 
Discussing  the  wine  and — confound  it! — the  weather, 
The  prospect  of  crops  from  the  border  of  Hades, 
But  more  of  the — why  should  I  hide  it  ? — the  ladies. 

"  Outside  the  cold  wind  blew, 
And  fast  before  it  flew 
The  sleet  and  snow  ; 
It  seemed  as  though 
The  cutting  breeze 
Would  freeze 
One's  very  bones  and  marrow  through  and  through. 


128  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Inside,  all  snug  and  warm, 
In  their  gray  uniform, 
The  friars,  fat 
And  jolly,  sat 
Around  the  fire, 
Whose  mad  desire 
Seemed  e'en  to  rise  and  battle  with  the  storm. 

"  Just  then  came  knocking  at  the  outer  gate  ; 

Grumbling,  the  porter  from  his  corner  rose 
To  see  who  dared  to  trouble  them  so  late, 

And  interrupt  his  comfortable  doze. 

"  But  first,  with  quick  despatch,  the  board  he  cleared, 
The  friars  helping  him  (with  many  an  oath)  ; 

Beef,  capon,  wine  by  magic  disappeared, 

Although  to  part  with  them  they  seemed  full  loath. 

"  Louder  the  knocking  grew, 

Reverberating  through 

The  echoing  halls. 

'  Confound  it,  blockhead  !   do 

Look  lively,  and  see  who 

It  is  that  calls.' 

Thus  spake  the  friar  Paunch,  as  if  bereft 

Of  all  his  saintliness. 

The  porter  left. 

"  Soon  he  returned.      Behind  him  came 
A  road-stained  palmer,  halt  and  lame, 
With  raiment  shapeless,  thin,  and  old, 
And  hands  both  blue  and  stiff  with  cold. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  129 

Forsooth,  I  ween, 
There  never  was  seen 
Such  a  lean, 
Unclean, 

And  shaky  machine, 
Bearing  the  name  of  palmer.     E'en 
Adam  and  Eve,  in  their  fig-leaf  condition, 
Were  hardly  less  clothed,  and  what  a  position 
Was  this  to  be  in  !   Remember,  't  was  snowing 
Like    '  one    o'clock  '—aye,     and    a    north    wind 
blowing-. 


"  However,  erelong,  a  change  was  wrought 

In  that  palmer,  halt  and  lame, 
Water  and  soap,  by  the  porter  brought, 
Transformed  him  so,  that  really  you  ought 
To  have  seen  him  and  you  would  have  thought, 

'  Of  a  truth  't  is  not  the  same.' 


"  And  when  from  the  larder  reappeared 

The  victuals,  the  beef  and  wine, 
That  palmer  ogled  his  eyes,  and  leered 
And  laughed,  but  neither  rebuked  nor  sneered 

(Although  the  friars  had  rather  feared  he  might) 
by  word  or  sign. 

"  Oh,  'twas  a  rare  old  sight  to  see, 
Oh,  'twas  a  goodly  company, 
The  palmer  and  the  friars  three, 
Around  the  fire  knee  to  knee, 
9 


1 3o  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Drinking  stronger  stuff  than  water, 
Oft  reminded  by  the  porter, 
Laughing,  that  they  '  kind'er  sort'er, 
Positively,  did  n't  ought'er.' 

"  '  A  toast  ! '  at  length  the  friars  cried. 
'  Bold  palmer,  't  is  your  turn.      Decide 
To  whom  the  honor  shall  be  paid, 
To  Mistress,  Queen,  or  Serving-maid.' 

"  '  I  drink  to  one,'  the  palmer  said, 

'  Most  beautiful.     The  sky,  when  red 

With  sinking  sun,  or  richly  set 

With  stars — earth's  nightly  coronet — 

Is  yet  less  lovely  far  I  swear, 

Than  she  to  whom  I  drink.     Beware, 

And  ask  me  not  her  name,  't  would  be 

An  insult  to  her  chastity, 

Did  I  but  breathe  her  name  along 

With  jest  and  revelry  and  song.' 

"  Up  rose  the  friar  Paunch  ;   quoth  he, 
'  The  devil  take  your  mystery  ! 
Think  you  we  know  not  beauty,  youth, 
And — none  so  fair  as  thine  ?     Forsooth, 
There  is  a  nun  more  fair,  I  ween, 
Than  wench  or  princess  thou  hast  seen, 
In  the  adjoining  convent.     Aye  ! 
Go,  Gustave,  by  the  secret  way, 
See  the  Superior,  and  say 
That  I  require,  without  delay, 
The  nun  called  Marian,  to  mend 
My  girdle.     Do  you  comprehend  ?  ' 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  131 

"  Forced  to  obey,  the  porter  rose 
Again,  awakened  from  a  doze, 
And,  taking  down  a  bunch  of  keys, 
He  took  a  stretch,  a  yawn,  a  sneeze, 
Took  his  own  time,  and,  by  degrees, 
Took  himself  off,  with  grunt  and  wheeze. 

"  After  awhile  returning  brought 
The  fair  nun  Marian. 

"  '  Methought, 

Cruel  men/  she  cried,  '  you  would  have  left 
Me  now  in  solitude.     Bereft 
Well-nigh  of  reason.      All  alone, 
Unguarded.     Friars,  you  have  shown 
What  power  for  evil  you  possess, 
In  tearing  me  from  home.     Redress 
The  wrong,  as  I  do  know  you  could, 
Were  you  but  willing  ;  show  for  good 
An  equal  power,  set  me  free, 
Unharmed,  and  give  me  liberty, 
Or  this  shall  save  me,  come  the  worst, 
And  may  you  be  forever  curst  ! ' 

"  Speaking,  from  'neath  her  dress  she  drew 
And  held  aloft  before  their  view 
A  dagger ! 

"'Aye,  stagger, 

Like  drunken  cowards  that  ye  be/ 
Cried  the  bold  palmer.      '  Know  that  she 
Whom  ye  call  "  Marian,  the  nun," 
And  my  "  Most  Beautiful  "  are  one  ! 


1 32  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Betrothed  to  me,  and  rudely  torn 
From  home,  upon  the  bridal  morn, 
By  you  or  y'ours.     This  palmer's  dress 
I  chose,  that  I  might  gain  access 
To  monast'ries,  for  well  I  knew 
The  thieves  were  of  your  cloth. ' 

"  '  Pooh  !  pooh  !' 

Exclaimed  the  friar  Paunch,  '  and  you 
Think  that  this  little  game  will  do  ? 
Friend,  't  is  a  game  requiring  two 
To  play  it.      Even  were  it  true, 
And  she  our  "  game,"  we  're  game,  parblcu  ! 
To  keep  her  and  we  mean  to,  too.' 

"  But  a  punch  in  the  paunch  rolled  him  up  like  a  scroll, 
And  he  lay  with  his  shiny,  bald  pate  in  a  bowl, 
And  a /w«c//-bowl  at  that,  from  which — little  thinking 
?T  would  serve   him   as   nightcap — he'd  just   finished 
drinking. 

"  The  other  two  friars  and  Gustave,  observing 
The  fall  of  their  leader,  with  swiftness  deserving 
Of  record,  departed,  considering  danger 
Lay  hid  in  the  fist  of  that  fraudulent  stranger. 

"Then    the   lovers    embraced,    and    in    spite    of  the 

weather — 

Having  eaten  the  victuals  remaining — together 
They  made  their  escape,  without  halting  or  tarrying, 
And  it  ended,  of  course,  in  their  festively  marrying." 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  133 

"  That  's  a  copy  from  '  Ingoldsby  Legends,'  my  lad, 
Said  Murray  ;   "  however,  the  rhymes  are  not  bad. 
Have  you   noticed  that  Tennyson   rhymes   the  word 

blundered, 
I  should   say   the   words   blundered,   thundered,   and 

wondered, 

And  sundered,  with  \\undred?     Now  is  n't  it  awful  ? 
What  license  can  ever  make  such  rhyming  lawful  ?  " 

Mr.  Russell  turned  round  to  young  Kent  with  a  smile, 
And  said,  ''  Well,  perhaps,  you  'd  admire  my  style. 
I  once,  and  once  only,  one  dark  winter's  night, 
Got  the  notion  that  I,  if  I  chose  to,  could  write. 
I  might  have  been  great,  but  with  me  ink  was  stinted. 
You  shall  hear  the  result — no,  it  never  was  printed  ; 

"  Dainty  dew-drops  water  roses, 

Kissing  them  to  life  anew 
Ere  the  waking  morn  discloses 

Once  again  the  sun  to  view. 

"  Let  us,  Nelly  dear,  rub  noses, 

While  your  father  sleeps.      Oh  pooh  ! 
Man  proposes,  not  disposes — 

it  !  here  he  comes.     Adieu  !  " 


Then  followed  good-natured  discussions  on  what 
Made  a  writer  a  poet. 

"  You  'cl  throw  out  a  lot 
Of  popular  authors,"  said  Murray  to  Kent. 
"Yes,"  the  young  man  replied,  "  I  must   always  re 
sent 


i34  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

The  insult  to  those  who  have  hallowed  the  crown, 
When,  to  fit  smaller  heads,  it  is  basely  cut  down. 
There  are  those  we  should  honor,  because  they  can 

sing, 

Let  them  rank  with  the  nobles,  but  not  with  the  king. 
It  always  has  seemed,"  he  continued,  "  a  shame, 
That  our  rugged  old  English  is  rendered  so  tame 
By  those  upon  whom  rests  the  onerous  duty 
Of  keeping  unsullied  its  natural  beauty. 
I  do  not  mean  slang,  but  the  careless  misuse 
Of  powerful  words,  and  the  constant  abuse 
Of  shades  in  the  meaning  of  others  ;  but  then 
It  is  easier  talking  than  using  the  pen." 
"  That  proves  you   an  author,"   Miss    Russell  said, 

smiling, 

"  For  readers  imagine  that  writing  is  whiling 
The  time  away,  lazily  trying  to  shirk 
The  fate  of  poor  mortals,  hard  physical  work." 

Mr.  Green  joined  the  party,  and  ventured  opinions 

That  were  classics  throughout  the  extended  dominions 

Of  the  noble  Queen's  English  ;  but  said  them  in  tone 

As  timid  as  if  they  were  solely  his  own, 

And  he  dared  not  intrude  notions  novel  and  queer, 

Except  in  a  voice  that  one  hardly  could  hear. 

So  the  time  slipped  away. 

"  Eight  bells  !     Is  it  noon  ?  " 

Exclaimed  Murray.     "Pshaw!   no.  they  have  rung  it 
too  soon." 

The  reason  for  poor  Mr.  Green's  sad  timidity, 
Amounting  almost  to  a  hopeless  stupidity  : 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  135 

He  had  rallied  his  grit,  when  at  dawn  he  arose, 
And  solemnly  promised  himself  to  propose, 
Before  the  night  fell  ;  and  had  aimlessly  wandered 
All  over  the  vessel,  and  nervously  pondered 
On  how  to  begin — he  knew  well  how  to  stop — 
And  walked  up  and  down  until  ready  to  drop. 
With  an  effort  his  fears  and  his  luncheon  he  swallowed, 
And  as  soon  as  Miss  Russell  arose,  closely  followed. 

The  wheel-house  on  board  of  the  Empress  was  low, 
With  a  nautical  hip-roof,  if  landsmen  may  so 
Designate  the  long  slope  at  the  top,  and  the  flat 
Polished  surface  of  wood-work  below.     Thereon  sat 
Mr.  Green  and  Miss  Russell,  as  many  had  done 
Before  them. 

The  courting  was  slowly  begun. 
He  beamed  on  the  lady,  he  flattered  and  stuttered, 

And  "  Will  you ?  "  he  said,  while  his  heart  wildly 

fluttered 

With  a  formal  proposal  ;  he  fully  intended 
To  wind  up  the  sentence.      It  suddenly  ended  ; 
For,  out  of  the  doorway,  a  voice  came  : 

"I  begs 

That  you  and  the  lady,  sir,  please  move  your  legs, 
I  can't  see  to  steer."     Miss  Russell's  laugh  rung 
With  a  keen  sense  of  humor.  Mr.  Green  bit  his  tongue. 

Later  on  in  the  day,  he  again  undertook 
To  woo  her,  so,  choosing  a  promising  nook, 
He  wedged  her  in  closely,  and  said,  with  a  sigh, 

"  Miss  Russell  I  want    you — that  is,  will  you — may 
j " 


136  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

He  was  caught  by  the  shoulder,  and  turned  squarely 

round, 

By  Murray,  who  shouted,  "  He  cannot  be  found !  " 
"  Who,  what  ?  "  said  Miss  Russell.     "  Why,  Tommy. 

There,  Green, 
Don't    stand  like  a  fool,   help  us  look.       Have    you 

seen — 

Do  you  know  where  Tom  is  ?     I  left  him  asleep, 
Some  hours  ago,  in  the  stateroom.     Don't  keep — 
Don't    stand    staring   inanely.      Come,    help    in    the 

search. 

He  may  have  been  lost  overboard,  by  a  lurch, 
When  no  one  was  looking,  when  no  one  was  by, 
Or  slipped  through  the  rail — 't  is  atrociously  high 
From  the  deck.     Come  !  " 

Miss  Russell  went  too. 
They  searched  in  the  wheel-house,  they  looked  down 

the  flue, 

In  galley  and  steerage,  in  cabin  and  room. 
Tommy  could  not  be  found  ;  and  a  general  gloom 
Came    over   the   people  ;    while,   with    shake    of  the 

head, 
Some  remarked,  it  but  proved  what  they  always  had 

said, 
"  The  child  was  too  bright ;  "  some  one  added,  "  too 

good," 

Which  no  one  disputed,  though  most  of  them  could. 


Captain  Vank  was  the  only  one  not  interested. 
"  Have  you  looked  in  the  pantry?"  he  calmly  sug 
gested. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  137 

Mr.  Murray  was  off,  without  even  replying. 

A  few  moments  later,  and  Tom  was  heard  crying, 

"  No,  I  did  n't  take  nuffin '  !  "    <(  Which  statement,  I 

doubt," 

Said  Murray,  as  almonds  and  raisins  rolled  out 
Of  his  numerous  pockets,  and  dropped  on  the  floor. 
"  Please,  sir,  I  won't  do  so,  not  never  no  more." 
But  Murray  considered  he  needed  a  whipping, 
Preceded,  alas,  by  a  barbaric  stripping. 


SCENE   VI. 
THE  MOCK  TRIAL. 


SCENE  VI. 


THE  MOCK  TRIAL. 

CHARACTERS. 

Jiidge, MR.  FRENCH. 

Plaintiff,  Mrs.  Wright, Miss  GREEN. 

Counsel  for  Plaintiff,  Mr.  Bluster,          .        .      MR.  MURRAY. 

Defendant,  Mr.  Wright, MR.  GREEN. 

Counsel  for  Defendant,  Mr.  Trimber,      .        .  MR.  KENT. 

Witness,  Miss  O' Patrick,     ....         Miss  RUSSELL. 

The  others,       .        . OTHERS. 

Moral, OURSELVES. 


Case  of  "  Wright  vs.    Wright." 

Wherein,  Mrs.  Wright  sued 
For  a  writ  of  divorce. 

CHARGES  :  Family  feud, 
Brutality,  heartlessness,  want  of  attention, 
And  others  it  really  would  not  do  to  mention. 
The  damage  placed  at  the  moderate  sum 
Of  $5,000  and  costs. 

Looking  glum, 

Mr.  Wright,  closely  followed  by  witnesses,  entered ; 
Then  counsel  and  jury.     The  interest  centred 


142  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

In  the  much-injured  lady,  however,  whose  face, 
Pale,  haggard,  and  worn,  bore  the  evident  trace 
Of  weeping — or  rather  of  water  and  flour  ; 
And  last  came  the  judge,  looking  terribly  sour. 
Then  the  jury  was  called,  and  then  silence,  and  then, 
The  judge  having  solemnly  mended  a  pen, 
Mr.  Butler  proceeded  to  open  the  case. 
But  we  cannot  report  him,  we  have  n't  the  space  ; 
His  speech  was  a  failure,  but  short.     At  its  close, 
Having  first  cleared  his  throat,  Mr.  Bluster  arose. 

"  Your  Honor,"  commenced  Mr.  Bluster,  "  and  you 

Gen-tle-men  of  the  jury,  without  much  ado, 

And  as  briefly  as  possible,  I  shall  endeavor 

To  state  the  case  plainly.     You  know  that  I  never 

Waste  patience  or  breath  in  a  useless  display 

Of  rhodomontade,  to  lead  judgment  astray. 

Yet  I  own  to  approaching  this  case  with  some  fear, 

Gen-tle-men  of  the  jury,  a  case,  you  will  hear, 

Of  such  heartless  depravity,  barbarous  crime, 

Inflicted  on  one  barely  yet  in  her  prime  ; 

On  a  lady  who  is,  to  the  rest  of  her  sex, 

As  a  flower  of  worth  to  the  poppy  that  flecks 

Each  hedge-row  with  red  ;  on  a  lady,  I  say, 

Of  such   beauty — although   you    must    not    let   that 

weigh — 

Mankind  would  uphold  you,  mankind,  white  or  black, 
Be  their  creed  what  you  will,  their  laws  stringent  or 

slack, 

Were  you  now  to  arise  as  one  man  and  declare. ( 
You  had  rather  had  left  this  cold  world    for— else 
where, 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  143 

And  that  cycles  and  aeons  had  rolled  in  between 
(Gen-tle-men  we  'd  have  seen  that  your  graves  were 

kept  green), 

Than  have  lived  to  discover  the  baseness  of  man, 
As  revealed  in  this  lawsuit.     But  then,  when  I  scan 
Your  good  honest  features,  I  breathe,  I  behold 
That  which  clearly  assures  me  the  WILL,  that  of  old 
Crushed    down    the    oppressor    and    raised    the    op 
pressed, 
Finds  its  counterpart  here  ;   and   your  country  may 

rest. 
In  your   unsullied  hands,  with  the  right  that  makes 

strong, 
Justice  places  her  sword.      Strike  then  !     Strike  at  the 

wrong 

Misrepresentation  by  those  who  defend  ! 
The  defendant  may  know  how  the  struggle  will  end. 
You  are  not  to  be  brow-beaten,  bullied,  or  cowed  ; 
For,  if  crimes  such  as  these,  gen-tle-rnen,  were  allowed 
To  pass  by  unpunished,  corruption  would -rise, 
The  incendiary's  smoke  would  ascend  to  the  skies, 
And  the  land  would  be  deluged  with  crimes  we  ab 
hor  ; 

You  would  let  loose  the  bloody-fanged  hell-hounds  of 
war  ! 

"  Mrs.  Wright,  my  fair  client,  before  having  taken 

The  name  of  this  man — who  will  now  find  it  shaken 

From  moral  nomenclature — revelled,  while  yet 

In  the  spring-tide  of  girlhood,  a  pale  violet, 

In  that  of  Rupertia  Chiggs,  gen-tle-men. 

It  is  soft  as  a  breeze  blown  o'er  mountain  and  fen  ; 


144  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

It  is  resonant,  truly,  with  urban  urbanity, 
And  likewise  with  guilelessness.    Doubt  not  her  sanity 
In  making  the  change,  for,  alas  !  she  was  young — 
But  an  infant  in  law. 

Every  poet  has  sung 

The  praise  of  sixteen  ;  even  statesmen  have  lauded 
Sixteen  to  the  skies,  while  their  voters  applauded. 
Youth  surrounds  it  with  rhapsodies,  fresh  sentiment, 
And  valentines  laden  with  delicate  scent — 
But  no  more.      No  !    It  took    this    dark  vampire    of 

night, 
Who  will  have  to  stand  there  when  the  usher  calls 

Wright, 

To  deceive  my  fair  client  when  only  sixteen, 
When  the  mind  is  untutored  and  vernally  green  ; 
To  burst  the  fond  bonds  of  parental  protection, 
To  fly  the  old  homestead — a  good  quarter-secnon— 
And  to  marry  him  !     Gen-tle-men  think  of  it  f     She 
A  true  child*  of  nature,  a  seraphim — he 
A  city-bred  ^stripling. 

A  few  years  went  past, 

In  which  she  was  happy  ;  but  that  could  not  last. 
He  could  not,  while  yet  within  sight  of  the  land — 
Your  Honor,  and  you,  gen-tle-men,  understand — 
Athwart  the  blue  azure  of  her  sky  unfurl 
The  skull  and  the  crossbones.     Alas  !  no,  poor  girl ! 
He  waited  until  her  fond  parents  were  dead, 
Their  hearts  being  broken  by  grief,  it  was  said  ; 
Broken  ?     Rather  say  pulverized.     Then  the  blow  fell. 

"  Bathed  in  tears  that  she  vainly  endeavored  to  quell, 
She  sought  out  her  husband.     In  heartrending  tones, 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  145 

She  explained  that,  in  order  to  follow  their  bones, 
In  fitting  habiliments,  she  would  require 
A  certain  amount. 

Steel  your  hearts,  or  retire, 

Or,  if  you  have  tears,  gen-tle-men,  then  prepare 
Now  to  shed  them.     The  savage  came  forth  from  his 

lair. 

He  refused  her  !     Refused  her  !     He  gave  her  a  sum 
So  inadequate  that  her  sad  soul  was  struck  dumb. 
It  allowed  on  her  dress  but  tJiree  inches  of  crape, 
And  the  fashion  plates,  gen-tle-men,  showed  that  the 

cape 
Should  be  bordered  with  six  inches.     Further  than 

that, 

The  veil  that  she  fastened  with  shame  to  her  hat 
Barely  came  to  her  shoulders  !    O  Justice  !  you  hear  ? 
It  was  almost  indelicate  (Heavens  !  a  tear  ! 
Forgive  me  for  weeping) — to  each  honored  shade, 
A  dastardly  insult,  a  grim  masquerade, 
A  tragical  farce  !     Why,  three  inches  of  crape 
Is  no  mourning  at  all." 

Here  he  untied  some  tape 
And  referred  to  a  document. 

"  Four  months  or  more 

Had  passed  since,  with  true  resignation,  she  bore 
The  bereavement  and  insult.     The  trappings  of  woe 
Grew  old-fashioned — she  touchingly  called  them  '  So- 
so.' 

Once  again  she  adventured  a  winsome  request. 
This  time  for  a  scarlet  silk-poplin,  for  best. 


146  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

"The  chill  winter  of  anguish  had  fled.     In  its  place  a 
Pretty  April-like  smiles  rippled  over  her  face, 
And,  with  nature,  she  yearned  after  color.     For  hours 
She  sat  at  the  windows  and  envied  the  flowers. 
She  felt  it  was  only  her  husband's  plain  duty 
To  purchase  whatever  would  add  to  her  beauty. 
Brace  yourself  to  receive  the  worst  news  you  could 

hear ! 

Your  Honor,  prepare  to  shed  sympathy's  tear  ; 
For  he  told  her  the  times  were  atrociously  bad  ; 
'  She  must  turn  it,'  ye  gods  !  turn  the  one  that  she 

had!     • 

"  He,  perhaps,  may  contend  that  his  paltry  excuse 
Justified  his  base  conduct  ;  he  '11  find  it  no  use, 
But  will  learn  what  it  is  to  have  dealings  with  men  ; 
When  you  bring  in  the  verdict,  he  '11  find  the  means 

then. 

The  law  is  inflexible.     Often  we  see 
That  a  villain,  who  stubbornly  bends  not  the  knee, 
Finds  the  law  has  a  fashion  of  breaking  that  joint ; 
The  defendant  may  feel  pretty  sure  on  that  point. 

"  I  have  led  you,  so  far,  to  the  quagmire's  brink. 
I  must  lead  you  still  farther.     Alas  !  we  must  sink 
Breast-high,  maybe  higher,  before  we  can  hope 
To  wash  with  retributive  justice's  soap. 

"  We  shall  show  you  that,  once  having  wandered  astray 
From  the  paths  of  uprightness,  he  found,  day  by  day, 
That  he  got  in  a  sort  of  a  criminal  groove, 
And  crime  became  easier.     This  we  shall  prove 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  147 

By  trustworthy  witnesses.     We  shall  do  more — 

We   shall   show   that   his    conduct  grew  worse  than 

before  ; 

That  at  last  he  conceived  the  infernal  design 
Of  sapping  the  life  of  this  client  of  mine, 
By  inviting  his  mother,  her  mother-in-law. 
She  had  borne  much,  your  Honor,  this  proved  the 

last  straw  ; 
For  home,  even  then,  was  a  modern  Bastile. 

"  In  her  terror,  she  made  one  more  touching  appeal 
To  the  man's  better  nature.     She  tore  her  fair  hair, 
She  wept  copious  tears  in  her  awful  despair, 
She  bared  her  bruised  heart  and  cried,  '  Pity,  and 

strike 

With  your  sabre,  or  anything  else  that  you  like  ; 
I  had  rather  be  drowned,  drawn,   and  quartered,  or 

hung, 

Than  know  the  full  horrors  of  death  by  the  tongue.' 
After  that  he  absented  himself  from  her  side 
Three  or  four  times  a  week.     This  will  be  certified, 
Gen-tle-men,  under  oath.     Could  my  fair  client  fail 
To  suspect  him  of  taking  the  high  road  to  jail  ? 

"  We  shall  prove  to  your  full  satisfaction,  moreover, 
That  the  wily  defendant  was  seen,  under  cover 
Of  the  shadow  of  twilight  and  various  trees, 
To  steal  from  his  home,  to  proceed  by  degrees 
To  a  neighboring  lane,  where,  I  blush  to  admit, 
He  was  joined  by  a  closely-veiled  stranger,  to  wit, 
A  woman  !  your  Honor — a  woman  !  and  then 
Was  observed  to  embrace  her — you  hear,  gen-tle-men  ? 


148  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

This  destroyer  of  happiness  kissed  her  !  They  walked 
For  an  hour  together  ;  I  doubt  not  they  talked  ; 
I  cannot  be  sure  of  the  fact,  for  my  sainted, 
My  beautiful  client,  on  seeing  them,  fainted. 

"  And  this  in  America  !     This  in  a  land 
That,  for  proud  independence,  has  taken  a  stand, 
Of  leader  and  teacher  and  champion.     What  wonder, 
Had  Olympian  Jove  raised  particular  thunder, 
And  had  hurled  in  his  anger  one  huge  bolt  to  crush 
The  now  hardened  and  wicked  offender  to  mush ! 
But  no  !     It  is  left  for  you,  gen-tle-men,  here 
To  avenge  this  wronged  dove's  saliniferous  tear, 
That  this  monster  has  caused  to  be  frequently  wept, 
In  the  night-watch,  while  he  with  brutality  slept. 
You  will  show  the  wide  world  that  now  breathlessly 

stands 

Awaiting  your  verdict,  that,  placed  in  your  hands, 
The  case  will  be  sifted,  the  gold  will  remain. 
You  will  sunder  the  bond  now  uniting  these  twain. 
You  will  feather  the  nest  of  this  fond,  stricken  dove, 
Though  no  money  can  ever  replace  her  lost  love." 

At  the  close  of  this  very  remarkable  speech, 
In  which  he  had  done  all  he  could  to  impeach 
The  defendant,  he  waited  until  the  applause 
Of  the  audience  ceased,  and  then,  after  a  pause, 
He  called  Miss  O'Patrick. 

At  that  there  arose 

A  young  lady,  who  threw  herself  into  a  pose 
That  the  audience  saw,  at  a  glance,  was  intended 
As  a  hit  at  the  fair  Miss  O'D. 


OVER    THE   SUMMER   SEA.  149 

Much  offended, 

But  trying  to  look  quite  unconscious  and  bland, 
Miss  O'Donoghue  toyed  with  the  fan  in  her  hand, 
And  stared  at  the  opposite  wall  with  a  smile, 
Although  inwardly  boiling  with  rage  all  the  while. 

"  Miss  OTatrick,"  began  Mr.  Bluster,  "  we  know 

What  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude  all  of  us  owe 

For  your  kind  condescension  ;  your  soul  must  recoil, 

As  a  child  of  refinement  from  cod-liver  oil, 

As  the  flesh  of  the  lamb  from  the  beak  of  the  vulture, 

From  this  change  from  haut  ton,  from  good  breeding 

and  culture, 
That  has  always  been  yours,   by  the  grand  right  of 

birth, 

Since  Adam  first  claimed  any  right  upon  earth. 
And    we   know   that  you   stand   in   the   box  (let  the 

thought 

That  it  is  a  box  bring  the  relief  that  it  ought) 
From  a  stern  sense  of  duty. 

You  come,  it  is  said, 

Of  a  long  line  of  highly  illustrious  dead  — 
In  short,  of  a  very  old  family,  eh  ?  " 

MISS   O'PATRICK. 

Oh,  the  oldest,  I  Ve  heard  papa  oftentimes  say, 
Of  the  oldest. 

MR.    BLUSTER. 

They  fled  then  the  king's  abused  power. 
And  bravely  came  over  aboard  the  Mayflower  ? 


150  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

MISS   O'PATRICK. 

Oh,  long  before  that,  I  am  sure  !     They  came  over 
With  William  the  Conqueror. 

JUDGE. 

Nonsense  !     That  rover 
Never  came  to  this  country. 

MR.  TRIMBER. 

If  he  had,  he  'd  have  been 

Nothing  more  than  plain  William  ;  that  's  rather  too 
thin. 

MISS  O'PATRICK. 

Oh,  if  you  refer  to  America,  yes, 
I  suppose  that  they  did. 

JUDGE. 

It  would  be  idleness 

To  assume  you  were  other  than  Irish,  your  name 
Makes  that  only  too  evident. 

MISS  O'PATRICK. 

No,  sir,  we  claim 
To  be  pure  Early  English. 

MR.  BLUSTER. 

You  have  been,  you  say, 
A  personal  friend  of  the  plaintiff's,  miss  ? 

MISS  O'PATRICK. 

Nay, 
Nothing  personal. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  151 

MR.  BLUSTER. 

Well,  in  your  quest  after  knowledge 
Did  not  you  and  my  client  attend  the  same  college  ? 

MISS  O'PATRICK. 
Certaincment. 

MR.  BLUSTER. 

Did  you  not  then,  while  there,  become  friends  ? 
Is  not  that  how  companionship  commonly  ends  ? 

MISS  O'PATRICK. 

Yes,  we  backed  up  each  other  if  one  told  a  fib, 
And  in  learning  Italian  we  used  the  same  crib, 
So  of  course  we  were  friends. 

MR.  BLUSTER. 

Did  this  close  friendship  cease 
When  you  finally  left,  or  au  contraire  increase  ? 

MISS  O'PATRICK. 

If  we   were   not  fast  friends,  think  you  I   should   be 

here  ? 

Does  not  this  prove  my  friendship  intensely  sincere  ? 
I  would  die  for  Rupertia  ! 

MR.  BLUSTER. 

That  does  you  credit  ! 

It  is  good  to  have  thought  it,  divine  to  have  said  it ! 
When  her  husband  refused  her  the  silk-poplin  dress 
Were  you  present  ? 


152  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

MISS    O'PATRICK. 
I  was. 

MR.  BLUSTER. 

And  you  heard  him  ? 

MISS  O'PATRICK. 

Oh  yes. 
MR.  BLUSTER. 

In  your  presence  ?     Ah,  well,  it  was  like  the  coarse 

knave  ! 
Be  so  good  as  to  tell  us  the  reason  he  gave. 

MISS  O'PATRICK. 

He  gave  none.     He  said  it  had  been  a  bad  season, 
And  he  could  not  afford  it ;    and  that  was  no  reason, 
That  was  sheer  imbecility. 

MR.  BLUSTER. 

You  think  that  he  could  ? 

MISS  O'PATRICK. 
That  can't  matter  ;  she  tvantcd  it,  therefore  he  should ! 

MR.  BLUSTER. 

Have  you  ever  observed  the  defendant  unkind 
To  the  plaintiff? 

MISS  O'PATRICK. 

Pardonnez,  monsieur,  do  you  mind — 
But  please,  which  is  which  ? 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  153 

JUDGE. 

It  was  perfectly  plain  ; 

You  are  begging  the  question,  and  trying  to  gain, 
By  subterfuge,  time  for  reflection.   Come,  miss,  reply. 

But  the  witness  began,  at  this  juncture,  to  cry. 

"  How  dare  you,"  she  sobbed  out,  "accuse  me,  sir, 

pray, 

Of  beg — begging  anything  ?     Take  me  away, 
I  won't  be  insulted  !  " 

A  murmur  arose 

In  the  jury.    The  court-room  resounded  with  "  Ohs  !  " 
And  cries  of  "  For  shame  !" 

The  judge  had  to  explain 

That  the  phrase  was  an  idiom.     Would  she  restrain 
Her  passionate  grief?     It  was  all  a  mistake. 
Mr.  Bluster  besought  her  to  stay,  for  his  sake, 
For  the  sake  of  Rupertia  Chiggs — might  he  add, 
For  the  sake  of  morality  ? — secretly  glad 
That  the  scene  had  occurred,  for  he  saw  with  delight 
That  the  jury  blamed  all  of  the  trouble  on  Wright. 

MR.  BLUSTER. 

Will  you  now  tell  the  jury  whatever  you  know 
Of  the  meeting  you  witnessed,  just  one  month  ago 
In  the  fair  days  of  June  ? 

MISS   O'PATRICK. 

We  go  every  year 

To  the  continent — that  is,  to  Europe.     OJi,  dear  ! 
I  cannot  help  speaking  as  Englishmen  do  ; 
Though  American  born,  I  am  English  right  through. 


154  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

I  called  on  Rupertia  merely  to  say 
Good-by  to  my  friend,  before  going  away. 
I  found  her  in  what,  were  I  in  her  position, 
I  should  call  absolutely  a  dying'  condition. 
She  was  mere  skin  and— 

MR.   BLUSTER. 

Certainly,  please  to  continue  ; 
Mere  skin  and  framework,  or  say  skin  and  sinew  ; 
We  know  what  you  mean,  and  respect  your  fine  feel 
ing. 

Do  not  blush.  (And  he  turned  his  eyes  up  to  the 
ceiling.) 

MISS   O'PATRICK. 

She  said  it  was  caused  by  her  husband's  depravity ; 

That  to  him  she  was  always  sweet  temper  and  suav 
ity  ; 

But  his  manner  was  brutal.  She  cried  on  my  shoul 
der, 

Seemed  at  first  half  afraid  to  speak  out,  but  grew  bolder 

As  the  salt  tears  stole  down,  leaving  stains  on  my 
dress, 

Till,  at  length,  I  prevailed  on  my  friend  to  confess. 

She  said  that  one  day  Mr.  Wright  had  made  mention 
Of  his  mother,  and  further  declared  his  intention, 
When    he    went    into    town    to    fetch    Higgins  the 

plumber, 

Of  calling  and  asking  her  down  for  the  summer. 
And  she  knew  what  that  meant ;  the  poor  girl  was 

demented. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  155 

If  his  mother  was  all  that  had  been  represented, 

She  would  bore  her  to  death  with  reproof  and  advice, 

And  would  madden  her,  being  so  very  precise  ; 

She  would  back  up  her  son  when  he  wanted  his  way, 

And  forever  and  ever  be  "  having  her  say." 

And  so  she  had  bravely  objected,  and  then 

(Oh,  the  heartless,  the  criminal  conduct  of  men  !), 

Without  ever  telling  her  where  he  was  going, 

He  left  her  for  hours,  and  all  the  time  knowing 

That  his  wife  pined  in  solitude,  loving  him,  still 

Drifting  far  from  the  reach  of  all  medical  skill. 

She  said  he  was  out  of  the  house  at  that  minute  ; 

She  was  sure  there  was  something  too  horrible  in  it. 

She  would  give  all  she  had  to  know  what  he  was  doing, 

For  she  firmly  believed  greater  mischief  was  brewing. 

I  proposed  we  should  follow  together,  and  see. 

So  she  dressed  and  came  down  looking  sweet  cap  a  pie. 

And  I  could  n't  help  thinking,  if  I  were  a  man, 

I  should  worship  her.     Then,  with  no  definite  plan, 

But  bent  on  discovery,  having  embraced, 

We  went  down  the  turnpike  in  feverish  haste, 

And  entered  a  field,  where  a  gentleman  cow, 

That  we  had  not  observed,  being  hid  by  a  plough, 

Made  a  furious  plunge,  and  upset  poor  Rupertia. 

It  bruised  her  and 

JUDGE. 
Kind  of  disturbed  her  inertia. 

MISS   O'PATRICK. 

We  escaped,  and  went  on.     Having  climbed  a  small 
bluff, 


156  OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA. 

We  saw  what  we  came  out  to  see.     Sure  enough, 
There  was  Wright — Mr.  Wright — in  a  sort  of  a  valley, 
Or,  if  I  may  say  so,  a  countrified  alley, 
And  a  closely-veiled  woman  stood  right  at  his  side- 
Well,  she  had  to  stand  close,  for  the  place  was  n't 

wide. 
But  we  saw  Mr.  Wright  lift  her  veil,  and  he  kissed 

her 

Such  a  smack  that  I  guess  it  produced  a  big  blister. 
And  then  my  friend  fainted,  and  I — oh  !  the  heat ! 

But  the  sentence  was  left  as  it  was,  incomplete, 
For  she  herself  fainted.     The  audience  giggled, 
And  fair  Miss  O'Donoghue  nervously  wriggled  ; 
For  she  frequently  fainted,  and  honestly  thought 
Fainting  quite  an  accomplishment,  one  to  be  taught 
Just  as  much  as  Italian  or  music  or  dancing, 
As  retiring,  bowing,  chasseing,  advancing, 
All  absolutisms  of  modern  society, 
That  go  to  make  up  the  bon  ton,  in  entirety. 

The  rest  of  the  witnesses  failed  to  be  funny, 

And  we  would  not  report  them  for  love  or  for  money. 

They  meant  well,   no   doubt,  but  those   nearest  the 

door, 

One  by  one,  two  by  two,  three  by  three,  four  by  four, 
Slipped  quietly  out,  until  Trimber  arose 
And  helped  the  case  rapidly  on  to  its  close. 

MR.    TRIMBER. 

"  Your  Honor,  and  you,  gentlemen  of  the  jury, 
Will  endorse  my  first  statement.     A  man  in  a  fury 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  157 

Says  more  than  he  ought  to,  or  even  believes. 

Now    I    know    that   you    secretly    laughed    in    your 

sleeves 

When  you  heard  Mr.  Bluster,  in  eloquent  rage, 
Make  the  almost  ridiculous  effort  to  gauge 
The  criminal  depth  he  attempted  to  prove 
My  client  had  sunk  to — '  the  criminal  groove,' 
As  he  called  it.     However,  I  know  that  he  had 
To  make  something  of  nothing,  and  everything  bad. 
He  felt  that  his  case  was  too  flimsy  to  stand 
Without  blinding  your  eyes  with  rhetorical  sand. 
But  the  witnesses  brought  to  endorse  his  assertions 
Were  not  like  the  laws  of  the  Medes  and  the  Persians,' 
That  never  knew  change  ;  they,  again  and  again, 
Contradicted  themselves,   as  you  know.      Yet  't  was 

plain 
That,  before  coming  here,  they  had  learned  what  to 

say, 

Which  I  think  they  '11  unlearn  before  going  away. 
Mr.  Wright,  the  defendant,  is  one  who  has  shown, 
By  his  noble  behavior  and  high  moral  tone, 
That  a  man  who  is  good  may  be  misrepresented, 
Yet  bear  malice  to  none.      He  has  never  resented, 
By  word  or  by  deed,  the  indignities  flung 
By  his  friend  Mr.  Bluster's  too  garrulous  tongue, 
Besmirching  his  fair  name  and  character  freely, 
As  did  the  opponents  of  poor  Horace  Greeley. 

"  The  charges  of  meanness  are  really  too  small, 
Too  trifling,  to  warrant  attention  at  all. 
You  are  some  of  you  married — I  trust,  not  a  few — 
And  know  what  it  is  to  have  taSes  fall  due, 


158  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

To  have  to  meet  butcher's  bills,  grocer's  bills,  baker's, 
In  the  list  that  winds  up  with  the  grim  undertaker's  ; 
And  the    countless   small    nothings,    that    really    are 

worse, 

For  the  man  who  has  these  has  a  leak  in  his  purse. 
And    you    know  that   at   times   your  account  at  the 

bank 
Shrinks  away,  till  your  book  shows  deposit  page — 

blank. 

If  then,  when  your  mind  is"  distracted  with  care, 
Your  wife  wants  to  buy  some  fandangle  to  wear, 
Some  gimcrack  or  other  to  fix  on  her  head, 
While  your  mind  is  bent  solely  on  how  to  get  bread, 
Is  there  one  of  you  here  who  would  foster  her  vanity, 
And  run  into  debt  at  the  risk  of  insanity  ? 
No,  I  venture  to  say  that  not  one  of  you  would  ! 
And  my  client  had  borne  it  as  long  as  he  could. 
As  his  dwindling  exchequer  had  caused  him  alarm, 
He  felt  every  penny  must  go  to  the  farm. 

"  And  as  to  the  final  charge,  is  it  so  awful  ? 
It  depends  upon  whether  the  kissing  was  lawful  ; 
For  the  sensitive  plaintiff,  on  seeing  them,  fainted, 
Instead  of  remaining  and  getting  acquainted. 

"  Let  me  now  introduce  the  veiled  woman." 

A  pause — 

Which  the  audience  filled  with  well-meaning  applause. 
A  woman  stepped  into  the  box,  and  all  eyes 
Were  turned  on  the  figure  with  looks  of  surprise ; 
For  every  one  saw  she  was  homely  and  old, 
A  trifle  too  wrinkled,  a  trifle  too  cold, 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  159 

To  entice  the  most  liquorish  roue  to  kiss  her, 

And  the  youths  in  the  audience  started  to  hiss  her. 

With  a  wave  of  his  hand  and  a  frown  on  his  face, 
The  judge  called  out,    "  Silence  !    proceed  with  the 

case." 

Miss  O'Patrick  was  brought  into  court  once  again, 
And  was  forced  to  admit,  though  with  evident  pain, 
That  the  woman  before  her  was  really  the  one 
That  had  met  Mr.  Wright — "  Why  did  she  not  shun 
All  honest  folks'  presence  ?  " 

"  You  have  said  quite  enough  !  " 

Exclaimed  Mr.  Trimber,  "  or  more  tersely,  'quant,  suf.' 
Gentlemen  and  your  Honor,  to  save  further  bother, 
Let  me  tell  you  this  lady  is  Mr.  Wright's  mother  ! 
As  his  wife  would  not  hear  of  her  living  with  them — 
A  mean  course  of  action  I  know  you  condemn — 
Mr.  Wright  met  his  mother  in  secret.     And  now 
I  can  do  nothing  better  than  finish,  and  bow." 

The  plaintiff  at  this  gave  a  terrible  scream, 

Rubbed  her  eyes  like  a  person  just  roused  from  a 

dream, 

And,  throwing  her  arms  round  her  husband,  exclaimed, 
<(  O  my  Georgie  !  forgive  me,  I  'm  very  ashamed, 
Very  contrite,  my  darling,  but  true  to  the  core  ; 
I  do  love  you,  and  won't  be  so  mean  any  more. 
And  if  you  will  promise  to  buy  what  I  need, 
Till  death  doth  us  part  I  will  love  you  indeed." 

Wright  of  course  said  he  would,  when  the  cost  of  the 
suit 


160  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Had  been  paid,  if  she  'd  only  quit  calling  him  "brute," 
"  The  meanest  man  living,"  "  a  fool  and  a  knave," 
And  would  also  assist  him  in  trying  to  save. 
And  she  promised  him. 

MORAL. 

O  husbands  and  wives, 

If  you  quarrel,  don't  meddle  with  law,  on  your  lives. 
There  is  always  a  loser  as  well  as  a  winner, 
And  lawyers  grow  fatter  as  your  purse  grows  thinner. 
If  you  win,  you  will  very  soon  find,  to  your  cost, 
That,  all  things  considered,  you  really  have  lost. 


SCENE  VII. 
THE  COURSE  OF  HUMAN  EVENTS. 


SCENE  VII. 

THE  COURSE  OF  HUMAN  EVENTS. 

CLOUDS  broken  in  fragments  by  unseen  gales, 
With  white  foam  tossed  like  bended  sails  ; 
Sky  of  that  pale,  translucent  blue, 
As  if  purest  light  were  shining  through  ; 
Sea  dark  with  depth,  yet  blue  and  bright, 
As  frost-bound  skies  on  a  winter's  night. 

/ 

The  voyage  was  rapidly  nearing  its  close, 
And  a  feeling  of  unconstrained  sadness  arose. 

A  ship  is  a  world  in  itself,  and  to  sever 
Connection  with  travellers  means  good  by  forever. 
We  have   laughed  with   each    other,   been  excellent 

friends, 

It  seems  like  a  lifetime.     The  voyage  soon  ends, 
We  speak  the  good-by  with  a  pain  at  our  heart — 
That  is,  if  we  're  young.     The  older  ones  part 
With  a  nonchalance  selfish,  but  wisest,  maybe  ; 
What's  the  use  of  a  friend  whom  we  never  shall  see 
Or  hear  from  again — he,  perchance,  writes  a  letter, 
Ah,    well !     might    he    not   have   employed    his    time 

better  ? 

We  have  drifted  apart.     It  is  certainly  best 
To  care  for  one's  self — let  who  will  take  the  rest. 


1 64  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

But  Christopher  Kent  and  Miss  Russell  were  young, 
And,  in  spite  of  herself,  a  conviction  had  sprung, 
That  somehow,  in  some  way,  their  lives  had  so  blended, 
She  dreaded  to  think  of  the  trip  being  ended. 

We  have  said  there  are  moments,  in  calm  or  in  storm, 

When  the  spirit  stands  out  from  the  bodily  form, 

When  spirit  knows  spirit — a  moment  of  fright, 

Or  it  may  be  a  moment  of  deepest  delight, 

But  awful,  whichever  it  chances  to  be  ; 

And  he  who  stands  by,  and  whose  spirit  we  see, 

Is  a  stranger  no  longer. 

Thank  God  !  oh,  ye  blest, 

Whose  self  was  revealed  to  the  one  you  loved  best ! 
God  pity  the  wretches  whom  crudest  fate 
Leaves  naked  in  presence  of  those  whom  they  hate  ! 
Since    their  meeting   at   midnight,   she    seemed   in  a 

dream. 

She  hated  him  first,  then  he  gained  her  esteem 
By  his  ready  forgiveness,  his  quickness,  his  kindness. 
Most  women  admire  a  lover's  fond  blindness  ; 
It  is  flattery  purer  than  man  can  distill, 
Like  all  nature's  forces  't  is  bound  to  fulfil 
The  purpose  intended,  and  always  will  prove 
A  lover's  best  weapon  in  winning  his  love. 

Like  birds  of  swift  passage  the  hours  flew  fast, 
Scarce  aware  of  their  presence  before  they  were  past, 
Yet  feeling  the  shadow  that  fell  from  their  wing, 
And  dreading  the  crisis  the  future  must  bring. 
With  brain  that  was  dazed  and  with  heart  that  was 
numb 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  165 

She  longed  for  the  terrible  something  to  come. 
First  humming  a  song,  thinking  no  one  was  near, 
She  let  fall  the  words  in  a  voice  low  and  clear  : 


"  A  misty  dawn  brings  a  pleasant  day, 

And  a  golden  morning  may  end  in  rain, 
To  look  on  the  face  of  the  sky  is  vain  ; 

And  what  is  before  us  none  can  say. 

"  We  seek  for  pleasure,  and  meet  with  pain ; 

We  dread  an  evil  that  may  not  be  ; 

Our  longed-for  future  we  never  see, 
Though  life  may  not  have  been  lived  in  vain." 

» 

Shef  dwelt  on  the  lines  as  a  sweet  refrain, 
"  And  life  may  not  have  been  lived  in  vain  ;  " 
Then  going  back  in  a  pensive  way, 
"  What  is  before  us  none  can  say." 

A  shadow — she  hastily  looked  up  and  blushed  ; 
Then  back  in  a  moment  the  life-blood  had  rushed, 
And  her  heart  beat  so  fast  it  was  physical  pain, 
For  Christopher  Kent  had  o'erheard  the  refrain. 
With  intenseness  of  passion  his  soft  dark  eyes  shone, 
As  he  sat  down  beside  her.     The  two  were  alone. 

The  throb  of  the  engines  and  plash  of  the  sea 
Seemed  far  in  the  distance  ;   and,  unconsciously, 
His  voice  scarcely  rose  from  a  whisper  ;   her  tone 
Was  gentle,  but  earnest,  and  low  as  his  own. 
She  dared  not  look  toward  him  ;  she  felt  it  was  wise 
Not  to  risk  the  entreaty  that  lay  in  his  eyes. 


1 66  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Like  the  quivering  haze  of  a  midsummer  day, 

Or  a  waterfall's  delicate  curtain  of  spray, 

A  tremulous  softness  her  features  o'erspread — 

The  form  half- recumbent,  the  poise  of  the  head, 

With  a  background  of  sky  that  was  pale  as  a  dream, 

And  a  sea  black  with  shadow,  except  where  a  beam 

Had  strayed  from  its  course  and  had  glinted  the  tide 

Close  under  the  vessel,  then  sank  terrified — 

The  scene  was  as  perfect  as  artist's  design, 

A  lover  would  think  it  unrivalled,  divine. 

And  Kent,  when  he  looked  at  her  beautiful  face, 

Felt  thankful  that  nothing  could  ever  erase 

From  memory's  canvas  a  picture  so  fair  ; 

Once  seen,  it  was  painted  indelibly  there. 

And  her  face— like  the  beautiful  lights  in  the  north, 
As  pale  as  the  star-light,  and  then  flashing  forth 
In  hot  vivid  blushes,  she  flushed  and  turned  pale 
As  she  felt  her  strong  arguments  certain  to  fail. 

When  he  told  of  his  filial  devotion,  she  listened, 
While  beneath  the  brown  lashes  the  great  tear-drops 

glistened  ; 

She  strove  to  conceal  them,  by  suddenly  turning 
Her  face  toward  the  sea,  although  secretly  yearning 
To  look  at  him,  touch  him,  to  offer  her  hand. 
But  Kent  saw  the  tears,  and  his  passion  was  fanned 
Into  heat  that  was  seven  times  heated.      He  grasped 
The  hand  that  was  nearest  to  his,  while  he  gasped, 
"  You  know,  have  known   it,  for  days,  that  I   love 

you  ! 
By  all  that  is  sacred,  around  or  above  you, 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  167 

I  pledge  to  win  what  you  most  value  in  life, 

But  give  me  your  love  as  reward.     Be  my  wife  !  " 

She  was  silent,  then  turning,  she  said,  "  Mr.  Kent," 
So  calmly,  he  could  but  suppose  that  she  meant 
To  refuse  him  entirely. 

He  tightened  his  hold 

On  the  hand  that  he  held,  for  despair  made  him  bold, 
And  cried,  "  No,  no,  hear  me  !     I  ask  you  to  wait 
Just  a  little  time  for  me  to  battle  with  fate  ; 
Give  me  something  to  work  for,  a  hope  that  I  may 
Win  your  love  and  yourself  at  no  far-distant  day  ! 
I   am   poor,  but  these   hands  and  this    brain    can,    I 

trust, 

Earn  riches — if  you  may  be  won  so,  they  must. 
Or  should  you  most  long  for  position,  or  fame, 
I  promise  to  win  them — to  give  you  a  name 

That "     He  started.     Her  hand  she  withdrew. 

"  I  ask  no  such  promise,"  she  said,  "  it  isjjw^, 

You  yourself  that  I — want."     With  a  look 

Of  timid  coquettishness  straightway  she  took 

Her    small    hand    from    his,   and    then — offered    him 

both, 
Which,  stooping,  he  kissed. 

So  they  plighted  their  troth 

In  the  bright  ocean  sunlight.     The  vessel  had  veered 
Somewhat  from  her  course  ;  and  the  waters  appeared 
To  open  their  heart  to  the  sunshine,  and  flashed 
A  dazzling  brightness  ;  the  spray  that  was  dashed 
From  the  screw  formed  a  rainbow.     "  A  token,"  said 

he, 
"  Of  approval  from  Heaven  as  well  as  the  sea." 


1 68  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

O  happy  first  hour  of  betrothal  !  when  living 

Is  exquisite  pleasure  without  a  misgiving  ; 

When  past  is  forgotten,  and  future  unscanned  ; 

It  is  Vanity  Fair's  own  Delectable  Land. 

O  happy  first  hour  of  mutual  confession, 

Of  passionate  joy  in  the  sense  of  possession, 

When  the  riddle  of  nature  is  suddenly  solved, 

And  all  of  the  secrets  that  riddle  involved  ! 

We  seem  to  have  lived  for  the  sake  of  that  hour, 

Our  grand  coronation,  accession  to  power ; 

In  love's  beautiful  ermine  and  purple  arrayed, 

Our  faults  are  all  hidden,  nor  make  us  afraid. 

And  the  World,  who  has  listened  a  million  times  over, 

Dons  her  holiday  garments  for  every  new  lover. 

A  see-saw  is  life — when  one  end  gives  a  jump, 
The  other  comes  down  to  the  earth  with  a  bump  ; 
And  the  knave  is  sent  up  by  the  fool  who  falls  down  ; 
There's  a  king  at  one  end,  at  the  other  a  clown. 
There  is  laughter  in  one  room,  and  tears  in  the  other ; 
And  good  news  to  one  man  is  death  to  his  brother  ; 
And  while  you  are  merry  with  some  glad  reflection, 
Your  neighbor  is  deep  in  the  slough  of  dejection. 
So,  while    Christopher    borrowed    and   bent  Cupid's 

bow, 
A  far  different  scene  had  been  acted  below. 

Mr.  X,  with  an  eyeglass  as  round  as  a  ring, 

Which  his  eyebrow  shut  down  upon  just  like  a  spring, 

And  a  lengthy  report  on  "  Domestic  Affairs  " — 

Which  did  not  mean  servants  or  family  cares, 

But  that  "  snug  little,  tight  little  island  of  Britain  " — 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  169 

Was,  strange  to  relate,  most  suddenly  smitten 
With  a  wish  to  converse,  and  it  happened  that  he 
Sat  next  the  aristocrat,  Mr.  O'D. 

That  gentleman — restless  like  many  rich  men, 

Who  heartily  wish  for  the  labor  again 

That  gave  them  their  fortunes,  their  merited  leisure 

(Ennui  is  the  Dowager  lady  nee  Pleasure) — 

That  gentleman  sat  making  digital  cages, 

And  nervously  watched  Mr.  X  turn  the  pages. 

Perhaps  Mr.  X  felt  his  look  an  appeal, 

For  it  lacked  a  full  hour  before  the  next  meal, 

And  his-wife  was  asleep,  and  his  daughter,  ah,  well  ! 

Where  she  was — "perhaps  Mr.  Spencer  could  tell." 

The  line  is  in  commas,  perhaps  a  suggestion 

Facetiously  made  by  one  person  in  question. 

In  short,  Mr.  X,  who  talked  briskly  when  started, 

And,  as  it  so  proved,  information  imparted 

Of  a  nature  so  startling,  that  Mr.  O'D. 

Wished  a  certain  young  man  in  the  depths  of  the  sea  ; 

That  consignment  at  least  would  have  answered  as 

well, 
Though  the  place  that  he  wished  him  to  ended  with  /. 

Mr.  X  was  possessed  of  a  practical  mind, 

And  further,  as  shown  by  his  eye-glass,  was  blind. 

It  was  therefore  no  wonder  he  did  not  surmise 

A  joke  was  in  process  right  under  his  eyes. 

He  had  seen  Mr.  Spencer  and  fair  Miss  O'D. 

So  often  together,  he  thought  there  must  be 

Some  agreement,  at  least,  some  legitimate  courting  ; 

And  he  studied  the  case  with  a  view  of  reporting 


i;o  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

The  same,  in  its  details,  to  sundry  old  friends, 
With  comments,  to  wit :  how  America  tends 
To  level  all  ranks,  and  so  prove  by  induction 
The  country  was  certainly  doomed  to  destruction. 

Rc'vcnons  a  nos  moutons — the  staid  Mr.  X, 

When  he  made  the  remark,  did  not  mean  it  should  vex 

Or  anger  the  gentleman. 

Mr.  O'D., 

Like  all  men  who  rise  from  a  humble  degree 
Into  power,  that  guerdon  of  wealth,  took  offence 
Very  readily,  saw  in  a  joke  impudence  ; 
For,    though    pachydermatous    while    making    their 

money, 
Men  grow  thin-skinned  as  soon  as  the  hive  's  full  of 

honey. 

And  he  heard  in  the  tone  of  the  speaker  a  hint 
Of  something  improper,  found  a  slight  verbal  squint 
In  the  twist  of  the  words.     So  he  said,  "  Understand, 
Mr.  what's-your-name,  please,  that  at  sea  or  on  land, 
At  home  or  abroad,  Miss  O'Donoghue,  sir, 
Does  nothing,  says  nothing,  unless  we  concur  ; 
And,  as  to  her  choice  of  companions  or  friends, 
If  her  parents  object,  the  acquaintanceship  ends. 
Miss  O'Donoghue  would  not  be  nearly  so  free, 
Were  the  gentleman  what  you  suppose  him  to  be. 
You  English  respect  rank  and  wealth,  do  you  not  ? 
Mr.  Spencer  can  boast  of  his  shooting-box,  yacht, 
His  seat  in  the  country,  his  mansion  in  town, 
Of  pedigree,  ancestors  known  to  renown, 
Of  noble  relations  and  friends  by  the  score  ; 
And  what  in  the  world,  sir,  should  we  expect  more  ?  " 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  171 

Mr.  X  had  first  chuckled,  and  then  had  grown  grave, 
And  as  Mr.  O'Donoghue  ceased,  cried, 

"  The  knave ! 

Do  you  tell  me,  in  earnest,  he  boasts  of  all  this, 
And  your  daughter  accepts  it  as  truth  ?    How  remiss — 
I  ought  to  have  guessed  it.      It  made  me  believe 
In  the  tales  told  in  England.     I  laughed  in  my  sleeve 
And  fully  determined  to  quote  this  one  case, 
As  proof  that  the  Anglo-American  race 
Was  really  belevelled,  a  perfect  democracy, 
With  no  sign  of  rank,  let  alone  aristocracy." 

Poor  Mr.  O'D.,  although  wofully  slow, 
Was  quick  enough  now  to  perceive  that  a  blow 
Was  about  to  descend  on  his  tenderest  spot, 
His  vanity,  and,  for  the  nonce,  he  forgot 
His  usual  dignity. 

Flushing  with  rage, 

He  paced  up  and  down  like  a  beast  in  a  cage, 
And  finally  stopping,  said,  "  Is  he  a  fraud, 
Not  a  noble  incognito — not  been  abroad 
For  the  sake  of  investing  in  stocks  ?     Oh,  you  jest !  " 

Mr.  X  replied,  "Jokes,  sir,  are  things  I  detest. 

I  never  was  given  to  joking — but  here, 

That  a  joke  has  been  played  upon  you  is  quite  clear. 

I  know  Mr.  Spencer,  or  rather  we  met 

At  some  place  in  Boston — just  where  I  forget. 

A  drummer i  you  'd  call  him.     I  saw  him  unpacking 

His  samples — he  sells  some  new  kind  of  boot-blacking." 

Then  Mr.  O'Donoghue  sank  in  his  seat, 

And  with  tears  in  his  eyes  he  began  to  entreat, 


172  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

To  beseech  his  informant,  by  everything  good, 
To  keep  silent  about  it,  to  swear  that  he  would ; 
And  declared  that  at  Queenstown  he  'd  land  and  be  free 
To  hunt  his  own  genealogical  tree. 

It  was  noticed  thereafter  by  all  on  the  ship 
That  the  fair  Miss  O'D.  gave  Hugh  Spencer  the  slip, 
And  spent  half  the  time  in  her  stateroom,  alone, 
And,  as  she  was  heard  very  plainly  to  groan, 
The  majority  thought  the  young  lady  was  sick ; 
The  minority  knew  she  had  found  out  the  trick. 
Miss  Russell  most  wisely  kept  out  of  her  way, 
And  when  she  was  in  it,  had  nothing  to  say. 

Mr.  French  had  been  searching  for  Christopher  Kent 
For  hours  together,  and,  by  mere  accident, 
Met  that  happy  young  fellow  amidships,  alone. 
Mr.  French  heaved  a  sigh  which  was  almost  a  groan. 

MR.  KENT. 

What 's  the  matter,  old  fellow,  this  beautiful  day  ? 
MR.  FRENCH  (aside). 

St.  George  and  the  Dragon  !  I  earnestly  pray, 
Help  me  one  or  the  other  ! 

(Aloud.}  Kent,  I  've  come  to  confess, 
To  give  you  permission  to  seek  full  redress. 
I  'm  a  blunderer  born,  that 's  my  only  excuse, 
I  'm  too  heavily  made,  don't  you  see  ?     What 's  the 

use 

Of  explaining,  for  I  am  completely  befuddled, 
And  your   cause  with    old   Russell   I  've  thoroughly 

muddled. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  173 

MR.  KENT. 
Sho  !  that 's  all  right. 

MR.  FRENCH. 

Then  you  Ve  come  to  your  senses, 
Have  considered,  as  I  did,  the  sad  consequences. 
Kent,  I  congratulate —     What !  you  don't  say, 
You  are  really  engaged  ?     Ah,  well !  lack-a-day  ! 
And  all  interjections  of  sorrow  or  joy, 
From  the  depths  of  my  heart  I  wish  them,  my  boy. 

And  French  walked  away  with  a  shake  of  the  head  ; 

But  Kent  followed  after,  and  laughingly  said, 

"  Come,  drink  our  good  health — drown  your  sorrow 

in  beer, 

And  promise  to  dance  at  our  wedding  next  year." 
"  I  '11  make  a  tight  rope  of  the  submarine  cable, 
And  my  message  shall  dance  if  I  am  unable," 
French  quickly  replied. 

So  that  trouble  was  ended, 
And  he,  for  Kent's  sake,  further  judgment  suspended. 

"  If  this  speed  keeps  up,  we  shall  see  Fastnet  light 
Somewhere  about  twelve,  perhaps  sooner,  to-night," 
Said  the  captain  at  dinner. 

"  A  story,  a  speech, 
A  speech  for  the  last  day,"  was  echoed  by  each. 

Captain  Vank  yawned,  of  course.  "'  I  'm  no  talker,"  he 

said, 
But  I  '11  spin  a  last  yarn.     Will  that  do  instead  ? 


174  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

The  Tale  of  a  Figure- Head. 

"  Oh,  Captain  Smith  was  a  clever  man, 

As  clever  as  well  could  be, 
And  he  made  a  bet  with  a  man  he  met 

In  the  Arafura  Sea  : 

"  That  he  'd  build  the  fastest  sailing  craft 

That  ever  was  built,  he  said, 
And  added  with  pride,  it  should  boast,  beside, 

Of  the  handsomest  figure-head. 

"  And  the  vessel  he  built  went  like  the  wind, 
When  the  storm-clouds  scud  the  skies  ; 

And  of  course  you  've  read  of  the'  figure-head — 
You  have  n't  ?     Well,  bless  my  eyes  ! 

"  Why,  the  Aphrodite's  figure-head 

Was  the  finest  thing  afloat, 
And  the  lubbers  ashore,  the  art-critics,  swore, 

It  was  far  too  good  for  a  boat. 

"  And  along  with  Captain  Smith  I  made 

My  first  trip  out  to  sea  ; 
And  we  sailed  away  on  the  first  of  May 

In  the  year  of  '53. 

"We  hardly  needed  a  puff  of  wind 

To  make  the  beauty  go, 
But  she  went  so  fast  that  we  wished,  at  last, 

She  would  slack  up,  you  know. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  175 

"The  sails  were  reefed,  until  we  left 

The  masts  and  rigging  bare  ; 
Yet  on  she  flew,  although  we  knew 

There  were  n  't  a  breath  of  air. 


"  And  then  the  crew  was  filled  with  dread, 

And  all  began  to  fear  ; 
May  I  be  blessed,  she  seemed  possessed  ; 

We  found  she  would  n 't  steer. 

"And  as  we  passed  Cape  Finisterre, 
The  crew  flung  off  their  coats, 

And  roundly  swore  they  'd  go  ashore, 
And  cut  adrift  the  boats. 


"And  Captain  Smith,  he  went  along, 
Which  left  me  sole  commander  ; 

For  I  had  sworn,  that  very  morn, 
I  'd  stay  and  understand  her. 


"And  day  and  night,  and  night  and  day, 

The  vessel  kept  on  going, 
And  my  heart  did  bound,  for  I  heard  a  sound, 

Like  a  silver  bugle  blowing.   • 

"  The  night  was  fair,  and  the  stars  shone  bright, 
But  the  moon  was  as  red  as  blood, 

And  it  tinged  the  sea  till  it  seemed  to  me 
We  sailed  in  a  crimson  flood. 


176  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

"  And  I  heard  the  bugle  blown  again, 
But  the  notes  rang  soft  and  clear, 

I  felt  like  stone — I  was  all  alone — • 
I  trembled  and  shook  with  fear. 


"  I  went  to  the  starboard  side,  and  gazed 

At  the  crimson  waves  below  ; 
And  I  saw  the  wight  that  had  caused  my  fright, 

And  had  made  the  bugle  blow. 

"  A  merman,  swimming  beneath  the  prow, 

Was  courting  the  figure-head  ; 
And  his  fair  white  skin,  and  his  pearly  fin, 

Pleased  my  eyes,  while  I  looked  with  dread. 

"  The  figure-head  followed  him  everywhere, 
Now  north,  now  south,  now  west ; 

And  the  merman  said,  '  To  my  coral  bed 
Come,  fair  one,  come  and  rest ! 


"  '  There  are  heaps  of  treasures  beneath  the  waves, 
Bright  jewels,  and  sparkling  gold  ; 

You  shall  have  my  share,  O  my  lady  fair, 
Then,  why  art  thou  still  so  cold  ? 

"  '  Come  and  sport  with  me  in  the  seaweed  groves 

That  sway  in  the  under  tide  ; 
You  are  fair  to  see — come,  lady,  and  be 

A  brave  young  merman's  bride.' 


OVER    THE  SUMMER   SEA.  177 

"  Then  I  heard  the  timbers  groan  and  creak  ; 

The  figure-head  shook  itself  free, 
And  fell  with  a  crash,  a  gurgle  and  splash, 

Right  into  the  crimson  sea. 

"  And  the  rudder  worked  like  magic  then 

(I  'm  not  of  the  boasting  sort), 
But  she  went  like  a  streak,  and  in  less  than  a  week 

I  had  her  back  safe  into  port." 


It  was  sunset  but  cloudless  ;  a  pale  yellow  fire, 
Like  the  flame  from  some  ancient  imperial  pyre, 
Spread  across  the  horizon  and  o'er  the  waves  rolled 
In  a  causeway  of  fretted  and  bright  burnished  gold 
Not  a  cloud  in  the  sky,  not  a  fleck  on  the  seas, 
When  a  ship,  in  full  sail,  scarcely  moved  by  the  breeze, 
Drifts  silently  into  the  broad,  golden  track, 
Every  sail,  mast,  and  spar  turning  suddenly  black. 
All  save  the  O'Donoghues  witnessed  the  scene. 

The  lovers  strolled  off,  leaving  sad  Mr.  Green 
Sitting  helplessly  leaning  against  the  ship's  side, 
In  that  state  where  a  woman  would  surely  have  cried. 
The  twilight  fell  round  him,  and  still  he  sat  frowning. 
It  may  be  some  thought  of  intentional  drowning 
Stole  into  his  brain  now  and  then,  for  he  gazed 
At  the  sea  like  a  man  who  was  hopelessly  dazed. 
A  touch  from  his  sister,  his  good  angel,  brought 
Him  back  to  his  senses.    "  Come,  John  dear,  we  ought 
To  be  looking  our  last  on  this  beautiful  sea, 
'Tis  a  glorious  evening."     And  then  tenderly 


i;8  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

She  drew  his  arm  forward,  and  coaxed  him  to  rise, 
While  the  great  hot  tears  sparkled   and  glazed   her 

dark  eyes. 
Her  heart  ached  for  John,  and  she  longed  to  caress 

him ; 
And    in    silence  prayed  over  and  over,   "  God  bless 

him." 

But  lovers  know  little  of  others'  despair, 

And  if  they  are  told  of  it,  what  do  they  care  ? 

Nay,  blame  them  not  quickly,  they  're  out  of  the  road, 

It  is  better  that  each  of  us  shoulder  his  load  ; 

Let  those  who  are  happy  remain  so,  they  must, 

In  the  course  of  their  lives,  plod  through  mire  and 

dust  ; 
Let  them  walk  in  green  by-ways  and  sing  while  they 

can, 

Pain  and  pleasure  are  portioned  to  every  man. 
So  they  wandered,  these  lovers,  in  blissful  content  ; 
Each  rivalled  the  other  in  sweet  compliment. 
They  watched  for  the  dull  yellow  star  half  the  night, 
And  forgot  it  the  moment  it  came  into  sight. 
They  were  friends  with  the  ocean — they  dreaded  the 

land. 

As  they  parted  at  midnight,  Kent  slipped  in  her  hand 

A  paper.     ''  Some  verses,"  he  bashfully  said. 

"  Pray  excuse  them,  they  're  more  from  the  heart  than 

the  head." 

Then  a  pause  and  a  blank — to  be  filled  as  you  please, 
Gentle  reader. 

The  verses  he  gave  her  were  these  : 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  179 

"  I  built  me  a  pleasure  house,  one  day, 

In  the  poet's  land  of  dreams  ; 
And  over  it  clouds  of  summer  lay, 

While  about  it  ran  gurgling  streams  ; 
And  the  little  birds  came  and  sweetly  sang  ; 
And  a  beautiful  rose  to  my  window  sprang, 
It  peeped  through  the  lattice  and  fell  at  my  feet, 
And  the  room  was  filled  with  its  fragrance  sweet. 

"  But  a  wind  came  down  from  the  land  of  snow, 

And  the  roses  died  in  a  night ; 
And  the  streams  were  frozen  and  ceased  to  flow, 

While  the  birds  took  a  sudden  flight. 
O'er  the  sky  an  ashen  pall  was  spread  ; 
My  beautiful  youth  lay  before  me  dead. 
I  cursed  the  wind  as  I  hurried  forth 
To  search  for  death  in  the  frozen  north. 

"  I  built  me  a  hut  in  the  far  north  land 

Of  ice  frozen  fast  with  snow  ; 
I  reared  the  walls  with  a  steady  hand, 

Then  crawled  through  the  entrance  low. 
I  had  left  no  chinks  for  the  summer  sun, 
And  I  sat  and  brooded  o'er  what  was  done  ; 
Despair  and  I  talked  with  bated  breath 
Of  the  near  approach  of  her  kinsman,  Death. 

"  Through  the  cold  and  darkness  I  felt  a  thrill, 
Heard  a  sound  like  a  running  brook  ; 

All  the  instinct  of  life  was  within  me  still, 
And  I  crept  to  the  door  to  look. 


:8o  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

The  fiend  Despair  tried  to  hinder  me, 
But  I  struck  her  boldly,  and  bade  her  flee  ; 
The  stars  shone  brighter  when  she  took  flight, 
And  the  eastern  sky  blazed  forth  with  light, 

"  I  was  moving  on  with  the  current  of  hope 
That  was  flowing  toward  the  sea  ; 

I  had  built  my  hut  on  a  glacier  slope, 
And  the  spring-time  had  set  me  free. 

I  was  drifting  on,  and  I  knew  not  where ; 

I  was  drifting  on,  and  I  did  not  care  ; 

My  life  came  back — not  a  dreamy  life, 

But  promise  of  toil  for  my  future  wife. 

"  We  build  a  house  in  a  sunny  land, 

A  land  where  the  frost  comes,  too  ; 
But  what  does  it  matter  when,  hand  in  hand; 

We  work  with  a  purpose  true  ? 
And  our  house  shall  be  happy  in  sun  or  rain, 
We  will  share  all  joy,  and  divide  all  pain, 
And  never  far  from  that  land  we  '11  roam, 
For  love  loves  best  to  remain  at  home." 


FINALE. 

Dark  hills  where  soft  gray  clouds  are  lightly  lying  ; 
And  white-winged  gulls  against  the  blue  sky  flying. 

Long  emerald  waves  are  scattering  snowy  foam, 
As  flowers  are  strewn  to  welcome  heroes  home. 

Segments  of  brilliant  rainbows,  growing  dim, 
Are  set  like  columns  on  the  ocean's  rim. 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  181 

Blue  shafts  of  smoke,  that  rival  Irish  skies, 
From  roofs  of  sun-burned  thatch  are  seen  to  rise. 

Bright-kirtled  colleens,  heroines  of  song, 
Watch  the  huge  vessel  as  it  moves  along ; 

Sad  hearted  many,  most  of  them,  maybe, 

For  thoughts  of  lovers  who  have  crossed  the  sea. 

"  So  runs  the  world  away  ;  "  our  dreams  are  fled, 
And  with  the  land  come  human  loves  instead. 

The  laziest  life  one  can  live  is  at  sea. 

Save  the  work  done  at  breakfast,  lunch,  dinner,  and 

tea, 
One   can  really  do  nothing  but  lounge,  smoke,  and 

play, 

Flirt  a  little,  talk  scandal  (the  news  of  the  day), 
Or,  failing  in  these,  court  the  downy  god,  Sleep, 
And  annihilate  ennui  and  time  at  one  sweep. 

When  the  land  fades  from  sight,  all  the  endless  to-do 

Of  business  and  politics  fades  with  it  too  ; 

And  the  round,  watery  world  puts  all  news   on  the 

shelf- 
Like  a  querulous  patient — save  that  itself; 
But  the  morning  that  brings  the  low  margin  of  hills, 
With  its  very  first  breath  the  long  lethargy  kills  ; 
And  little  is  thought  of  but  parting  and  meeting, 
And  the  mind  conceives  other  excitement  than  eating. 
Vague  fears  fill  the  soul,  as  we  pack  our  valises, 
Lest  our  trunks  will  be  found  to  be  coming  to  pieces  ; 


1 82  OVER    THE   SUMMER  SEA. 

That  the  bottle  of  ink,  which  we  rolled  in  a  stocking, 

Has  been  broken,  or  something  else  equally  shocking. 

And  all  is  confusion,  noise,  bustle,  and  hence  is 

Enough  to  drive  any  one  out  of  his  senses. 

The  circle  of  friendship  contracts.     A  cold  wave 

Sweeps  over  the  ship  ;  and  most  seem  to  behave 

As  if  they  are  rather  ashamed  of  the  past, 

And  hope  the  acquaintanceship  formed  will  not  last. 

And   when  silk  hats  and   bonnets    break   forth  into 

bloom, 
They  seem  to  bring  with  them  politeness  and  gloom. 


The  exception  in  this  case — exceptions,  they  say, 
Prove  the  rule,  although  not  in  a  logical  way — 
Was  our  friend,  Mr.  Murray,  who  did  not  possess 
A  "  plug,"  that  civilian  abortion  of  dress. 
Promenading  the  deck  with  the  same  hat  and  coat 
He  had  daily  appeared  in  on  board  of  the  boat, 
And,  of  course,  the  same  temper,  the  same  look  and 

bearing, 

For  our  characters  go  with  the  clothes  we  are  wearing  ; 
He  held  by  the  hand  Tommy  'Tickler,  who  tried, 
By  pulling  and  jerking,  to  break  from  his  side, 
To  join  with  some  urchins  amidship  at  play, 
But  for  once  he  was  doomed  not  to  have  his  own  way. 
"  Be  still  for  a  minute,"  said  Murray.     "  Come  here, 
Sit  down  on  this  stool,  Tom,  you  young  mutineer, 
I  '  ve  something  to  say  to  you.    Here  comes  Miss  Green 
You  're  dirty  as  poison,  not  fit  to  be  seen, 
But  we  '11  see  what  she  says.     Miss  Green,  take  a  seat ; 
Come  into  the  shade  here  away  from  the  heat." 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  183 

Now  the  shade  he  referred  to  was  not  worth  the  men 
tion — 

That  is,  if  you  take  its  extent  or  dimension, 
Square  feet,  or  however  you  measure  the  shade — 
On  the  lee-side,  and  therefore  upon  the  down  grade. 
And  the  consequence  was  the  stools  had  to  be  set 
So  closely  together  the  tops  of  them  met. 
But  the  sense  of  security  gained  by  the  fact, 
In  case  of  a  lurch — for  the  stools  were  not  backed — 
Was  full  compensation  for  crowding,  and  thus 
Miss  Green  took  a  seat  without  raising  a  fuss. 

Tom  would  n't  sit  down,  preferring  to  stand 
Between  Murray's  knees,  and  to  look  out  at  the  land  ; 
For  the  vessel  was  steaming  so  near  to  the  coast 
One  could  make  out  each  cabin  and  count  every  post, 
Distinguish  the  cattle  and  wandering  sheep, 
And  the  boy  set  to  watch  them,   stretched  out  fast 

asleep. 

The  low  rolling  hills  had  a  welcoming  look 
To  the  voyagers.     Here  through  a  cleft  ran  a  brook, 
Springing  out  as  it  were  from  the  roots  of  a  tree  ; 
It  fell  in  a  tiny  cascade  to  the  sea. 
The  foam  of  the  breakers  lay  white  on  the  sand, 
And  sparkled  beneath  the  sun's  magical  wand  ; 
Black  rocks  fronting  seaward  stood  guarding  the  bay, 
And  lashed  the  green  waves  into  masses  of  spray. 

"Well,"  said  Murray,  at    length,  looking    round   at 

Miss  Green, 
"You  are  glad  to   be   home — that   is,  near   home   I 

mean  ?  " 


1 84  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  she  replied,  "  I  suppose  I  am  glad, 
And  yet,  do  you  know  ?  I  feel  foolishly  sad. 
The  trip  has  been  pleasant  throughout,  has  it  not  ?  " 
"  Just  delightful,"  said  Murray,  "  but  fearfully  hot ; 
1  have  felt  like  a  blue-fish  or  pickerel  frying, 
And  my  color  has  changed  like  a  porpoise  in  dying  ; 
If  I  now  were  at  home,  ma'am,  my  dearest  relation 
Would  bundle  me  off  to  some  darned  reservation. 
See  here,"  he  went  on,  stroking  Tom's  curly  hair, 
A  liberty  hotly  resented.     "  Wo-wo-ho  there  ! 
Stand  still,  you  young  monkey.      What  am  I  to  do 
With  this  baby,  pray  tell  me,  I  'm  quite  in  a  stew  ; 
I  have  n't  the  heart  to  abandon  the  boy, 
For  I  love  every  hair  of  his  head,  and  enjoy 
Every  trick  of  the  rascal." 

"  Now  don't  think  me  rude," 

Said  Miss  Green,  interrupting  ;  "  of  course  you  allude 
To  the  boy's  future  prospects.     My  brother  and  I 
Have  decided  to  take  him  ;   and  you  may  rely 
On    my    word    that    we    will    not    neglect    him,    you 

know. 

John  has  made  up  his  mind  not  to  marry,  and  so," 
She  laughingly  added,  "  regarding  myself, 
Since  I  have  been  long  ago  put  on  the  shelf, 

We  can" 

"  Stop  !  "  exclaimed  Murray,  "  I  'm  sure  you 

are  kind, 

But  I  can't  give  him  up.     If  I  must  '  go  it  blind,' 
Then   I   must,  and  that  ends  it.     Now,  Tommy,  see 

here, 

You  are  put  up  at  auction,  and  I  'm  auctioneer. 
Here  's  a  worthless  young  rascal " 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  185 

"  For  shame  !  "  said  Miss  Green. 
"You've   mistaken  your  calling,  that 's  plain   to  be 

seen. 
If  he  's  worthless  who  'd  buy  him  ?  " 

"  Of  course  that  is  true," 

Said  Murray.      "  Well,  Tommy.  I  '11  leave  it  to  you. 
With  which  one  of  us  would  you  like  to  live  best, 
With  me  or  Miss  Green  ? — that  's  the  critical  test. 
Speak  the  truth,  now,  young  fellow,  with  which  ? — 

under  oath  ?  " 

"  I  'd  like  to  live  best,"  replied  Tommy,  "  with  both." 

"  That  boy  is  a  genius  !  "   Murray  exclaimed. 

"  He's  enough  to  make  wise  heads  like  us  feel  ashamed. 

May  I  get  up  -alongside  of  you  on  the  shelf, 

And  chum  with  the  bric-a-brac  china  and  delf  ?  " 

Miss  Green  made  no  effort  to  hide  the  glad  tears, 
Which  rolled  down  her  cheeks,  and  left  visible  smears. 
Mr.  Murray  continued  : 

"  I  can't  offer  much, 

I  have  n't  the  trick  of  old  Midas,  whose  touch 
Turned  things  into  gold,  but  I  guess,  if  we  try, 
We  can  worry  along.     I  have  something  put  by — 
Nothing  much,  but  a  little,  five  hundred  or  so — 
Come,  shall  it  be  both,  dear  Miss  Green  ?  don't  say 
no  !  " 

For  answer  she  bent  toward  the  child  and. said, 

"Yes, 
You  shall  live  with  us  both  !  " 


1 86  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

With  a  tender  caress, 
Which  Tommy   returned,  she  just   pressed  Murray's 

hand, 
And  left  them  alone. 

With  "  a  smile  that  was  bland," 
Murray  caught  up  the  youngster  and  kissed  him. 

"  My  lad, 
He  exclaimed,  "  well,  you  've  done  it.  And  now  you  '11 

be  glad 
To  get  upon  shore,  eh  ?" 

"  Oh  yes,"  Tom  replied. 
"And  why  ?  "  looking  down  on  the  small  boy  with 

pride. 
"  Because  then   I   can    sleep   by  myself,    don't    you 

know  ?  " 
Answered   Tom,    who,   from   eating  cake   sodden   as 

dough, 
Had    been   troubled   with    nightmare,    and    used   his 

small  feet 

Pretty  freely  on  Murray,  "  and  then  I  can  eat 
What  I  want  to  and  thrash  around  all  that  I  choose." 
"With  pleasure,"    said   Murray.     "I've    a    terrible 

bruise 

Inflicted  by  you  in  the  small  of  my  back, 
Where  you  brought  down  your  fist  with  a  thundering 

thwack." 

Here  he  called  to  the  captain  and  said, 

"  I  've  a  mind 

To  adopt  your  young  stowaway  ;  somehow,  I  find 
That  I  love  him.     I  've  also  engaged  him  a  nurse." 


OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA.  187 

"  Is  that  so?"   said  the  captain.    "You  might  have 

done  worse, 
You  '11  never  repent  it." 

"  I  'm  going,"  said  Murray, 
"  To  marry  the  nurse — it  will  save  me  the  worry." 

The  captain  laughed  loudly,  "  And  what  is  her  name  ? 
I  hope  you  've  selected  a  competent  dame." 
For  he  thought  it  a  joke.    Murray  could  not  feel  hurt, 
And  replied  with  good  humor,  "  That  terrible  flirt, 
The  charming  Miss  Green." 

"  Well  matched,  on  my  soul !  " 
Cried  the  captain  with  warmth  ;  but  it  struck  him  as 

droll, 
So  he  laughed  once  again  and  then  said, 

"  I  suppose, 

It  will  now  be  to  you  that  the  child's  money  goes  ?  " 
"  The  money,  what  money  ?  "  said  Murray,  in  wonder. 
"  For  his  passage,  of  course,"  cried  the  captain.  "  By 

thunder  ! 

You  did  n't  imagine  one  moment,  I  trust, 
I  intended  to  keep  it  !  That  would  be  unjust. 
I  had,  for  appearance's  sake,  to  pretend, 
For  the  good  of  the  others,  but  meant  at  the  end 
Of  the  voyage  to  give  it  to  Tom,  or  invest  it. 
Had  I  dreamed  you  thought  that,   I  had  long  since 

confessed  it." 

Murray  flung  up  his  hat  in  the  air,  with  a  shout 
That  attracted  those  passengers  up  and  about, 
Who,   when  they  had  learned   what  had   caused  it, 
joined  in 


1 88  OVER    THE  SUMMER  SEA. 

Till  the  Empress  re-echoed  their  jovial  din. 
They  gave  three  cheers  for  both  with  a  hearty  good 
will, 
With  one  cheer  thrown  in  as  a  brief  codicil. 

"  Once  more  !  "  shouted  Murray,  "  one  more  for  Miss 

Green ! 
God  bless  America,  and  God  save  the  Queen  !  " 


THE  END. 


AN     EDUCATION, 

or  at  least  a  very  important  part  of  one,  is  to  know  how  to 
get  good  results  with  the  least  labor.  In  the  matter  of  house- 
cleaning,  scrubbing  and  in  scouring  pots  and  pans,  it  is  im 
portant  to  know  that  SAPOLIO  saves  time,  strength  and 
patience. 


GRAND,  SQUARE  AND   UPRIGHT 


Received  First  j/Iedal  of  Merit  and  Di 
ploma  of  Honor  at  the  Centennial  Exhi 
bition,  1  876. 

First  Prize  Diploma  of  Honor  and  Hon 
orable  Mention  and  a  Diploma  of  Special 
Excellence  for  Baby  Grands  at  the  Mon 
treal  Exhibition,  1  88  1 . 

A.re    preferred.    l>y    leading    A.rtlsts. 

SOHMER  &,  C0.? 

Manufacturers,  149  to  155  FOURTEENTH  STREET,  N.  T. 


THE    BEST 

WASHING  COMPOUND 

EVER    INVENTED. 

No  Lady,  Married  or 
Single,  Rich  or  Poor, 
Housekeeping  or  Board- 
ing,  will  be  without  it 
after  testing  its  utility. 

Sold  by  all  first-class 
Grocers*  but  be  ware  of 
•worthless  imitations. 


FOR  THE  BRAIN  AND  NERVES. 


*    00 


H  H 
m  b> 
O  £ 


CROSBY'S    VITALIZED    PHOS-PHITES. 

This  is  a  standard  preparation  with  all  physicians  who  treat 
nervous  and  mental  disorders. 

Crosby's  Vitalized  J'hoa-jjJiites  should  be  taken  as  a  Special 
Brain  Food. 

To  BUILD  UP  worn-out  nerves,  to  banish  sleeplessness,  neu 
ralgia  and  sick  headache.  —  Dr.  Owynn. 

To  PROMOTE  good  digestion.  —  Dr.  Filmore. 

To  "  STAMP  OUT  "  consumption.  —  Dr.  Churchill. 

To  "  COMPLEXLY  cure  night  sweats."  —  John  B.  Quigley. 

To  MAINTAIN  the  capabilities  of  the  brain  and  nerves  to  per 
form  all  functions  even  at  the  highest  tension.  —  E.  L.  Kellogg. 

To  EESTORE  the  energy  lost  by  nervousness,  debility,  over- 
exertion  or  enervated  vital  powers.  —  Dr.  W.  8.  Wells. 

To  BEPAIR  the  nerves  that  have  been  enfeebled  by  worry,  de 
pression,  anxiety  or  deep  grief.  —  Miss  Mary  RanJdn. 

To  STRENGTHEN  the  intellect  so  that  study  and  deep  mental 
application  may  be  a  pleasure  and  not  a  trial.  —  B.  M.  Couch. 

To  DEVELOP  good  teeth,  glossy  hair,  clear  skin,  handsome  nails 
in  the  young,  so  that  they  may  be  an  inheritance  in  later  years.  — 
Editor  School  Journal. 

To  ENLARGE  the  capabilities  for  enjoyment.  —  National  Journal 
of  Education. 

To  "MAKE  life  a  pleasure,"  "not  a  daily  suffering"  "I 
really  urge  you  to  put  it  to  the  test."  —  Miss  Emily  Faithfull. 

To  AMPLIFY  bodily  and  mental  power  to  the  present  genera 
tion  and  "prove  the  survival  of  the  fittest  "  to  the  next.  —  Bismarck. 

THERE  is  no  other  VITAL  PHOS-PHITE,  none  that  is  extracted 
from  living  animal  and  vegetable  tissues.  —  Dr.  Casper. 

To  RESTORE  lost  powers  and  abilities.  —  Dr.  Bull. 

Poi'  sale  by  druggists  or  mail,  $1. 
P.  CROSBY  CO.,  No.  56  West  Twenty-fifth  St.,  New  York. 


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